Who is Who in Africa's Most Powerful Law Firms

Publisher’s Note

Hello and welcome to this October edition of Business Elites Africa! In this issue, “Who is Who in Africa’s Most Powerful Law Firms,” we take a quick dive into the lives, industry genius and entrepreneurial journeys of Africa’s most influential legal minds and advocates.

At Business Elites Africa, we believe that part of what makes a great and prosperous nation is the legal framework, the study and propagation of its legal philosophies, systems and perspectives. Our team believes that the class and quality of legal minds as custodians of a nation’s legal jurisprudence is a good measure of the life and health of its economy, and social and geopolitical fabric, among others.

The legal profession in the continent of Africa has evolved tremendously. From the years of colonial domination, to the postindependence years when the likes of Sir Adeyemo Alakija, Akintola Williams; Hauwa Ibrahim and their contemporaries across Africa, showed the world that Africa was a force to reckon with, not only in sports and wars, but also in building and managing complex legal structures, promoting the rule of law, as well as disseminating specialised legal knowledge and skill sets, exceptional advocacy and arbitrations prowess in the core practice of common law and international law.

The 21st century economy brought with it endless military interventions, unprecedented interruptions in the rule of Law, and in many

cases, outright brutal suspensions of legal precedence across the continent. Unlike their counterparts in developed societies, African lawyers operate in a generally flawed atmosphere of economic backwardness, political instability and grossly underdeveloped legal systems. There is also the lack of Judiciary independence, low financial reward and, a general sense of dishonesty in the citizenry; poor rule of law, among many issues that make the legal profession less attractive to the young generation in Africa.

The mid-80s to late 90’s brought in the likes of the Justices Oputa, Bello; Ajanah and Nnamani on the Nigerian front, and fiery lawyers like Gani Fawemi, Hon. Justice Bello, Chief Ben Nwabueze, Femi Falana and a host of others, who made bold and concerted efforts to bring renewed trust and sustainable growth back into the legal profession, not only in Nigeria but also in the rest of Africa. Africa’s legal minds have never been deterred from taking the fight to the most brutal forces. Many have built enormous wealth and international traction beyond all imagination.

In this edition, we showcase top lawyers in Africa who have defied all odds and broken every ceiling to not only show that the legal profession can be a force to reckon with, not only in nation-building, but also in the overall quest for personal wealth and industry prominence. Their experiences, personal drives and wealth, as well as their legal perspectives and philosophies, build a new army and shape the way the legal profession develops in Africa.

Happy reading!

ETHELBERT NWANEGBO

Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief ethelbert.n@glimpse33.com

Disclaimer: The information on this magazine is for information purposes only. Business Elites Africa Magazine assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All information can be withdrawn or changed without notice. Whilst every care has been taken in producing the information on this magazine, this does not guarantee the accuracy of the information. Business Elites Africa is not responsible for any opinion, expressed by its authors. Materials contained on this magazine are subject to copyright and other proprietary rights. No material on this magazine can be reproduced, adapted, distributed or stored in a retrievable system or transmission without a prior written consent from Business Elites Africa Magazine. © 2022 Business Elites Africa Magazine. All rights reserved.

Isioma Idigbe: Nigeria’s Media and Entertainment Law Evangelist 41

The Story of Muhammad Dele Belgore SAN, a Successful Commercial Lawyer Cum Politician 42

Elizabeth Idigbe’s Path to Dominance in Nigeria’s Energy & Property Law Space 43

Chief Afe Babalola: Celebrating the Life of a Legal Luminary 46

Shamila Batohi: A Trailblazing Prosecutor in the Fight Against Crime in South Africa 47

Meet Marietta Brew AppiahOppong, the Second Woman to be Ghana’s Attorney General and Minister for Justice 54

Ayotunde Owoigbe: The Authority on Mergers and Acquisition 55

Femi Falana: Human Rights Activist and Justice Campaigner Extraordinaire 58

Oghogho Akpata: One of Nigeria’s Leading Oil & Gas Lawyers 66

Aleem Tharani: An Advocate Driving Tangible Outcomes in Kenya’s Energy Sector 26

Beverly Agbakoba-Onyejianya: A Lawyer with Many Hats 28

Ibiyemi Ajiboye is a Rising Star in Corporate Law 31

How Raymond Zondo Forged his Path to the Highest Judicial Position in South Africa 36

The Making of Udoma Udo Udoma, the Man who Founded One of Nigeria’s Oldest Law Firms 37

Wole Olanipekun: One of Africa’s Most Demanded Lawyers 38

How Olaniwun Ajayi Built One of Africa’s Biggest Law Firms 40

NIGERIA : 5, Ogusiji Street, off Allen Avenue,Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria Tel: +234909 943 0429 +234916 473 4106

USA: 6620 Southpoint Drive S. Suite 511, Jacksonville, FL 32216 Tel: +904-240-7044

SOUTH AFRICA: 73 Booysens Road Conner Withycombe Street Johannesburg 2091, South Africa. Micheal

Olisa Agbakoba SAN: How He Built a Formidable Public Profile 8

‘Failure is the Fuel You Need to Succeed’ - Prolific Finance Lawyer, Onyinye Okafor 12

How Olumide Aju SAN Became a Firebrand Litigator 14

Meet Dr Ingy Badawy, a Highly Reputable Egyptian Lawyer 17

How Dr. Chukwuechefu Ukattah’s Failure Made Him 18

“My Father Forced me to Study Law” 22

By Dimeji Akinloye

Olisa Agbakoba SAN: How He Built a Formidable Public Profile

Had Olisa Agbakoba’s father not plotted with a late Nigerian Army general to trick him into studying Law at the University, he would have ended up as either a soldier or a footballer, which would not have been a terrible idea on the surface. But, it would seem his immeasurable contribution to nation-building and a just society may not have found expression through the military or sports.

Olisa Agbakoba is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association and a prolific maritime lawyer. He’s the founding Partner Olisa Agbakoba Legal (OAL).

He was one of the pro-democracy activists who fiercely contested the resilient military misrule until Nigeria transitioned to civilian leadership. Ironically, Agbakoba says the military dispensation was better off than the current state of Nigeria. In this interview, he shares his intriguing journey of courage,

determination and grit with the Business Elites Africa team.

You were a prominent footballer in secondary school with the moniker ‘Abana.’ One would think you’d naturally pursue a football career instead of Law. What’s the backstory?

I was interested in football. That was when the school sports system worked. I was quite good and even got a scholarship to

Government College Ughelli, Delta State, to play football. I was actually going to play for Nigeria. I was shortlisted, but that was the year the University Expo started. I had to leave in August of that year, and by the time I returned, the train had moved. The Academicals had left for the first Sports National Festival. I have always wondered what it would have been – the likes of Kenneth Ilodigwe, Thompson Usiyan, and others were my mates; we were in the same team. That was how my football dream disappeared.

legal aid, and Abdul Oroh, a journalist at the Guardian. It was all of that energy that came together.

This was the same team you went with to the Obasanjo farm settlement at Ita-Oko. Tell us that story.

Before we went to Ita-Oko, I founded the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in 1987. Wole Soyinka was our patron. He got a petition from the wife of a gentleman who was detained in Ita-Oko, which was at the back of the Atlantic Ocean, full of crocodiles and all kinds of reptiles.

polluted the waters. You don’t quite know where to engage.

The cost of living was cheaper during military rule. There was better electricity; diesel was cheaper, and food was cheaper. There were jobs, and people never complained as they complain today, with the pounds sterling almost hitting N1000 and the dollar rising. Under late Gen. Sani Abacha, it was N80 to a dollar.

Where did Nigeria get it wrong?

I am not sure actually. I was a Biafran soldier, and I think at the end of the war, I had more interest in enlisting in the Nigerian Army. I used my father’s connection to get the late Gen. Abdulsallah to put me in the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna. I didn’t know there was a plot between them to abort my ambition to join the army. He said why don’t you just read Law while waiting. I didn’t know these people were deceiving me. So, I went to study Law. But I don’t have any conscious recollection of my dad pressuring me to read Law.

Shortly after you became a lawyer, you started anti-government advocacy against the military leadership at the time. Why were you so committed to that?

That was not precisely the case. The truth was that I was interested in prisoners, and that was because, during the war, I was detained by the Biafran state security service. I was detained in an ordinary prison called Ntueke in Imo state. I came very close to the condition and challenges of being in prison. So when I became a lawyer, I accidentally ran into prison issues.

There was a guy called Joseph Odogwu, who had been in prison for about nine years, and it came to my attention. That was how the idea of a human rights organisation was formed. So the advocacy movement started as a prison rights organisation from my link with Biafra and my association with Clement Nwankwo, who was working in

Olusegun Obasanjo discovered the island when he was the military head of state. He was flying in the air one day and said this was a good place to relocate all the beggars of Lagos because the queen was visiting. So he built a massive fortress in that location, but the queen did not come eventually. The place was later converted into a detention camp by a subsequent administration. The wicked military government began to detain people there. There is no coming back for anyone taken there. So, this lady petitioned Wole Soyinka that her husband had been detained on the island.

Atlantic ocean. Wole Soyinka then called me and said, ‘look, I have this petition, and since I am your patron, can you assist me?’ In the cause of assistance, we discovered the island. It was a massive discovery and big news in the media. It led to the closure of the prison, and it gave us the satisfaction that we were doing something right.

You also had a run-in with the Sani Abacha government, and you were detained. As someone involved in the fight for democracy, would you say Nigeria be better off?

I don’t think so. If you ask the average person, he doesn’t care whether it’s a military or democratic government. What he cares about is food and better living condition. Contradictorily, life was easier in the 90s than today, and it was also more predictable to confront the government of the day because it was the people versus the army. Today, it’s not quite the case. Politicians have

Leadership. The book by Chinua Achebe, ‘The Trouble with Nigeria,’ covers it all. It’s one of the most brilliant books ever written. The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely failure and absence of leadership. Once you don’t have a leader in anything you do, either a business organisation, a football team, a region or whatever, it’s a problem. A leader is crucial. If you have a problem with leadership, clearly, it will affect the process.

What we see in Nigeria today is low-grade civil war - there is violence everywhere, and Nigeria is the second most dangerous country in the world.

Speaking of leadership, the 2023 election is around the corner. Out of the three major presidential candidates vying for the top office, whom do you think has the potential to deliver a new Nigeria?

I won’t answer it that way because Nigeria is a prebendal country where the regular rules don’t apply. The best man may win or may not. You need to look at how to break down the establishment structures because they are powerful. I’m not sure that parties are relevant to this, it’s a political class that is relevant, and the political class will like to hold on to power.

There is going to be a massive control of votes, and it doesn’t mean buying them. It simply means canvassing votes and targeting them. Even in America, part of why Obama won was because of the large canvas network, which means money. Money is an important tool in this political process. What I’m not sure of is whether there is sufficient momentum to pull down the establishment.

So, was your decision to become a lawyer your father’s influence, being a lawyer himself?

Peter Obi seems to be the candidate that has massive public appeal. Do you think he’s a viable third force?

The third force always has its moments. I have no idea whether 2023 is the moment because you first have to whittle down the establishment’s power. So, is it possible in the next 6 – 8 months? That’s a milliondollar question, and that’s the big issue. Nigerians are fed up. They just want change, but the last time they were told about change, they got it, but I’m not sure they have seen the result of that change. So they are going to be a bit sceptical. And what I see playing out would be a war to protect the establishment. Whether the third force movement is enough to pull it down is what we don’t know.

People like you were at the forefront of nation-building agitations and struggles in your youth. You even led a five-million-man match. Do you think the youths of today have that kind of drive, or social media has taken all that away?

Yes, social media has taken all that away. There is a street toughness you had to have then. Though I respect social media, the problem is whether the social media

movement can translate to an on-ground movement.

That’s why I said the establishment. The establishment is on the ground. They understand Nigeria. They know Nigeria has about 120,000 polling stations. They know that these stations need to be manned by about 6000 people, that’s about 1 million people. They know this guy has to be paid between N5000 and N20,000 on election day, and these people are going to pull in about an average of 20 people who have been given bread, plantain, sardine, and everything. You are looking at a massive financial outlay.

So, does this social media movement have that kind of organisation? Can the social media movement say, ‘we have our troops on the ground in Apapa and other places?’

Or are they hanging in the air? That’s the challenge. I can tell you the establishment people are not in the air. They are absolutely on the ground. They know everything. They know how to take care of the voters. Who are the voters? They are the guys who are disposed and hungry, so they are malleable.

You can buy them. They are not interested in ideas. They are only interested in the person that can give them something on the spot.

If you tell them, ‘look, if you vote for me, in

four years, good things will happen,’ they will say no. That’s the big challenge that I see.

Let’s come back to you. What would you say were the factors that helped you build a reputable legal practice?

You have got to be resilient, tough, and determined. And you have to believe in a process and set yourself goals because many people don’t set goals.

There is a certain precise measure that you can take – a path of excellence – where you go from just being a lawyer to becoming an expert, then a master, and then an authority. When you get there, you begin to get accolades. It’s not an easy job. It takes about 20 years to become a master, but you have to keep at it; therefore, you will find out your life is routinised.

You can’t become a master by going to nightclubs. You have to sacrifice a lot, and it becomes sort of a boring life because you are always at work. In fact, I’m now finding it a lot easier. You will see that you can rest a bit when you get to the top. But not when you’re still climbing. You be climbing, with a log of wood over your head and say let me stop and have a beer; you might topple over. You keep going until you get to your destination. That’s the trick.

What lessons have you taken from your journey as a pro-democracy advocate, lawyer, and entrepreneur?

To have a process. Have a dashboard of rules and regulations – processes and procedures - and remove distractions because if your life is full of distractions, you are going nowhere.

I have followed my rules relentlessly. I come punctually to work and generally leave as the last person. I’m slowing down now because of old age. Once you create those rules, you don’t have a problem.

If you look at all successful entrepreneurs, they put in a lot of hard work, but that hard work becomes so internalised that they are now used to it. So when I put in the hard work, it’s not as if I’m putting in any hard work. I’m just doing what I think I should do.

By Dimeji Akinloye

‘Failure is the Fuel You Need to Succeed’

- Prolific Finance Lawyer, Onyinye Okafor

Onyinye shares her story with Business Elites Africa in this interview, and at the centre of it is God and hard work. She believes that the pathway to success in life is anchored on a phrase; ‘pray hard and work hard.’

backstory.

First and foremost, I owe all my achievements to God. One of my favourite mottos is a quote by one of the greatest saints of all time, St. Augustine, and says, “pray as if everything depends on God and work as if everything depends on you.” This quote has always been my guiding principle in life.

Law firm of O.C.J. Okocha in Portharcourt. Getting to work at the firm did not just fall on my lap. I worked hard to secure that placement. When I decided I wanted to work in O.C.J. Okocha’s firm, I visited him and discussed that possibility with him. He agreed and said, provided I could get the officials of the N.Y.S.C. to post me to his chambers. I prayed hard for things to go as I desired. Then, I was posted to the ministry of justice, Portharcourt, for my primary assignment, but luckily, they rejected me. That was how it was easy for me to request the N.Y.S.C. officials to post me to O.C.J. Okocha’s Chambers.

After my N.Y.S.C., I heard that Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie (UUBO), my current Law firm, was recruiting, so I applied. After applying for the opening, I studied and prayed hard. Fortunately, I was one of the successful candidates.

Onyinye Okafor’s dream was to become an Accountant like her father, but she changed her mind after reading about Jennifer Parker, a successful fictional lawyer in Sidney Sheldon’s 1980 bestseller, Rage of Angels. However, her first exposure to legal practice was in litigation, which she detested. She knew she had to find another path.

She tried other practice areas and settled with Finance Law, which turned her into a rockstar in Nigeria’s legal circle. Today, she’s a Partner at Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie, and advices international banks including Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse, JP Morgan, Standard Chartered Bank among others.

I went to a special science school, and at that time, I didn’t even want to be a lawyer. However, after I graduated from secondary school, I decided to read Law due to one or two factors. Once I made up my mind, I had to stay back an extra year to enable me to take the subject that I will require to study Law at the University. I sat for the University entrance examination conducted by the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB). I passed and studied Law at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra state, Nigeria.

Coming from a science background and with siblings that had studied Law, I thought having good grades in Law was only for brilliant people, but my brother (now deceased) encouraged me to work hard. I studied hard and went on to make very good grades at University and the Nigerian Law school.

I proceeded to do my compulsory one-year National Youth Service Corp (N.Y.S.C.) at the

Becoming an Associate at UUBO exposed me to many transactions and helped me to hone and refine my skills as a lawyer. As a hard worker, rising through the ranks was just a matter of time, and I progressed steadily until I became a Partner at the firm.

It’s funny. There was this novel I read when I left secondary school, Rage of Angels by Sidney Sheldon, and it was the story of a successful lawyer in the storyline that I was endeared to. After reading the novel, I just realised that becoming a lawyer is what I’m called to do. Even before I read it, my dad wanted me to be a lawyer, but I didn’t like it. As a daddy’s girl, I wanted to become a chartered accountant like him. I just wanted to follow in his footstep. Being an Accountant was my dream job at the beginning until I read this book, which refocused me, and I knew I had to be a lawyer and someone that would help people through their challenges and difficulties.

You’re an accomplished lawyer in a male-dominated space. Tell us your

You mentioned you didn’t want to study Law; what changed your mind?

No, not really. Finance Law actually choose me. What happened was that when I started working at UUBO, we were exposed to different transactions. We have various practice areas we get to work in, including Energy, Finance, and so on. I believe that my skills and strength pushed me toward Finance. I think my supervisors at the time felt Finance was my strength. And while it chose me, I went on a dance with Finance, and I fell in love with it, which also prompted me to do my Master’s in Finance Law.

I was young and single and ready to be the best, but when I got married, of course, I had to try to balance the two. Because I always try to achieve what I set out to achieve, quitting was not an option.

What was the most challenging case you have worked on?

Every day is a challenge when you are a lawyer. Some matters come to you, and you just have to put on your work shoe and go to work. I’m in one currently, and it has been very challenging because it’s a first. When you try to do transactions that are first in the market, it can be very tough because there is no precedence for you to look at to guide you. So you have to try and do the required research and all of that.

There are many great female lawyers and many great female business and career people. All you see in all of these people is that they put in a lot of hard work and were able to attain success, so that is what it is for me. Work hard, don’t look at the gender just put in the work and then pray. I assure you that success will come.

You said you had two children while working a case. These are the kind of issues that career women have to deal with. How do you balance work and family duties?

Yes. As a lawyer, challenges come with the job. I mentioned I did my N.Y.S.C. in Portharcourt, but I didn’t say it was a pure litigation Law firm. When I started my working there, I realised early enough that I didn’t want to be a litigator. The reason was because of the protracted process involved, which sort of discouraged young lawyers. Specifically, if you go to court as a young lawyer, it doesn’t matter whether you are the first to get to the court; your case will be pushed to the last. You will have to wait for all your seniors to call their matter, and the judge will hear them.

Sometimes, you will find that you will leave the court that day without even the judge hearing your matter, and then you have to pick another date. So it wasn’t encouraging at all for me. I realised at the time that this was not what I wanted. So I flung my Jennifer Packer inspiration out of the window. I just knew I didn’t want to be a litigator, but I wasn’t also sure what I wanted to be at the time. I toiled with Energy Law and IT Law, but I didn’t explore any of these.

When I started working at UUBO, the long hours were phenomenal. You have to put in the hard work. You work round the clock, and sometimes you work really late. You have to sort of weigh this and ask yourself certain questions, whether it was worth it. Initially, it wasn’t a problem for me because

There was this transaction I worked on right after my Master’s program. It was a very complex transaction. We didn’t know whether the transaction would ever close because it was just difficult. I can’t give specific details because of confidentiality, but I can tell you that I had two children during this transaction. That tells you how long it took for us to complete the transaction. But at the end of the day, we won with hard work and tenacity.

So challenges will always come; it’s just part of life. It is not about whether there are challenges; it’s about what you need to do to conquer those challenges. For me, if you are focused, put in the work, do what needs to be done and pray hard, then that challenge will surely come to an end, and I tell you, it is always well at the end.

Striking a balance is always a constant challenge. I can tell you that it will be easier if you have a supportive partner. My husband is amazing and has supported me throughout my career. Without my husband, I’m not sure I would be where I am today.

When I had to come late, he was always at the home front taking care of the kids. You need a supportive husband and you also need a supportive domestic staff. You also have to learn to work well with people. Working well with your supervisor, peers, and subordinates is also good. I will always say you should pray because God also finds a way to your heart and then channels you towards the right path.

Have you failed at anything, and how did you handle it?

No. And what I will suggest to people is to always not focus on gender issues. I never compared the number of successful female lawyers to successful male lawyers. I don’t do that. I know what I want is to be a lawyer, and I want to be a good lawyer. I work hard to be a good lawyer. I think focusing so much on gender can also bring laziness. I’m not downplaying gender inequality in society, but I think that shouldn’t be the focus.

Failure is a constant in life. I think failure is the fuel you need to get you to where you need to be. It gives you grit, strength and tenacity. When you look around, you see that most of the very successful entrepreneurs and people have failed at something. And it was that failure that made them what they have become. I wouldn’t say I have never failed, I have failed one or two times but it’s not about focusing on the failure. There is a reason why you failed. You need to sit down, look at why you failed, and keep your emotions aside. If it means talking to the people you work with or outside your work area, do that. Be humble ask questions and analyse the problems. That is what I do. I can even talk to people who have been through the same issue before, so I get suggestions and recommendations from them.

Did your dream of becoming an Accountant influence your decision to settle for Finance Law?

Were there experiences along your journey that made you doubt yourself and your decision to become a lawyer?

Did you feel discriminated against as a woman in a male-dominated industry?

By

How Olumide Aju SAN Became a Firebrand Litigator

Olumide Aju (SAN) is a Nigerian thoroughbred litigator and a Partner at F.O. Akinrele & Co. He has an impressive track record as a trial and appellate lawyer. Aju says his career success is a direct result of the kind of training he had at the University of Lagos by sound legal tutors, who espoused the highest standards, something he admits is missing in today’s educational system.

In this interview with Business Elites Africa, he talks about his courtroom stories and how he started handling cases alongside heavyweight lawyers until he became a master litigator.

Most lawyers I’ve spoken to were influenced to study Law by their parents. Was that your experience too?

Interestingly, my parents had different views. My mom wanted me to be a doctor,

and my dad preferred that I should be a lawyer, but he didn’t express it. I was given the option to decide what I wanted to do. First and foremost, my grades in the art were actually much better than in the sciences. I had distinctions in Literature, Government, and other subjects. So, it just made sense that I would end up doing three advanced-level subjects in the arts in my A-levels. So, when I finished A-levels, it was either I studied Law or nothing else. Then after the program, I gained admission into the University of Lagos.

In the course of your studying Law, did you have any reason to think you shouldn’t have chosen Law?

Not at all. Now things have changed. The University of Lagos was the best place to be then. All our professor teachers wrote Law books. Professors taught me in each of my subjects. The faculty was probably the best place you could be. Everything about it was like you’ve made the right choice to read Law.

How did your Law career start?

When I finished Law school, the best place to work, in terms of good income, was in the oil & gas sector or banking sector. They paid almost ten times better than you could earn as a young lawyer. But the training I had at the University already prepared me for a litigation and advocacy career. So those options were not just attractive. I remember I got a job to serve in the bank, but I turned it down. I could easily have applied to the legal department of an oil company; I would get it. But I’ve been trained by exceptional lawyers. We read many judgments and could anticipate being in court and appearing before judges like Kayode Esho (late Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria). Even before then, the names that we heard were those that you just want to be close to based on their work. So, there was no other option than to start to practice.

Turning down a lucrative job offer for something that’s not

financially rewarding, at least in the short run, must be difficult. What gave you that conviction that it was the right move?

There was also a subtle radical aspect of me wanting to help the less privileged. I was involved in student unionism on campus to a large extent. This part of me was inspired by some of the books I read in A-levels and my exposure to firebrand lawyers like Gani Fawehinmi. They defined what Law practice should be, and as a young man with many ideas, you just feel compelled to add your own positive contribution to society, and Law provided that platform for me to do it.

What was your most challenging case?

Interestingly, every case presents an opportunity for me to be my best. No matter how simple the issues are, no matter how small the claim could be, no matter how uninteresting some other people may think the case is, when I take a file, I believe that it is the chance for me to market myself in terms of what I know or what I can do.

Therefore, I would read, write my brief differently and do my pleadings differently. So, by the time I am done with the case, I’m satisfied that I have put in my best. I’m not quite sure that I’ve found any case particularly challenging as such. I could tell you that, without boasting, I’ve got an outstanding record, as per the success rate in the court cases I’ve handled. So I won’t use the word ‘challenge’. It’s always been an exciting thing to do.

What was your breakout case? The case that first put you out there?

It depends on the audience that you are looking at. Moreso, at the trial court, a long time ago, long before I became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, I had the rare privilege of appearing before Senior Advocates who were already practising at the inner bar. I knew I was meeting the heavyweights, so I’d always prepare well. So when you talk about breakout cases, I had been noticed by these older lawyers long before now, by just doing my everyday, ordinary work

and all that. But if you say breakout to the larger public, you have to look at the Law reports, and then you go to the appellate courts to see some of the appeals that I’ve had to argue and that I won. There are quite a number of them.

There was one interesting case that went all the way from the High Court in England to the House of Lords. It was a major dispute case that was said, at that time, to be the biggest case in English history. There was an aspect of the case that had to be litigated in Nigeria for enforcement process. I was involved in the case with one of the top lawyers around, Professor Konyin Ajayi and Dr. Wale Olawoyin (SAN). I was very happy to be part of that case. Many other interesting cases like that have provided a platform for me to grow and present myself to the larger public.

I know it’s almost impossible to win all your cases. How do you feel when you lose?

Let me tell you something about me, I don’t like going for judgments. Even when I am sure I’ve put in my best and have almost 90 or 80% confidence that I’ll win the case, I just don’t like going for judgments. The reason is that the judge can get it wrong. You can think you’ve won the case, and the judge deems otherwise. There can be distortions in the system.

If I get an unfavourable decision, I will obviously not be happy with it. But again, it provides me with an opportunity to launch an appeal. It’s even better for me if I lose a case because the judge has been induced to rule against me. In that case, the judge will surely make mistakes in the judgment. So, I would patiently study the judgment and note all those loopholes. My best moments are when I do notice of appeal. After filing that notice, I’m relieved and excited because I know I’m going through a process that will reverse that error.

What would you say were the factors that contributed to your career success?

I’ve been very lucky. When I joined the

profession, I had many people I could watch from afar and emulate for the right reasons - their work ethics, devotion to the Law, and attitudes. They were not even people that were working with me. They were just people I could sit down in court and watch and you just want to be like them. Some of these people are still relevant today. They defined the standard for me.

When you practice during that generation, you’ll find a lot of outstanding barristers, even judges that you are excited to work with. So those were the key people that actually gave me the motivation to be the best. That’s why I said I’ve been fortunate.

At some point, I used to have a boss whose mother was the chief judge of Lagos State. We dared not walk near her court to prosecute a case. That was the ethics that were taught, because we were technically interested parties in her court. It was wrong for you to even go into a judge’s chambers. You do the work in the court, and you walk out.

Now you find lawyers freely associating with judges. That was not the training or the tradition of the profession in the past. I had the best of everything as a young lawyer, which has defined some of the other things I’m doing now.

Career-wise, did you feel more important or fulfilled when you became a SAN in 2019?

Firstly, the journey was tough. It was a testament to courage and resilience because I applied a couple of times. That process tests something about your resilience.

I’ll give you an example. One of the requirements is that you must have handled several cases personally. But the challenge there is that I can travel from Lagos to maybe Ibadan or Akure to pursue an appeal, and you get there, but the judge doesn’t show up. You may have to go back there over and over again.

I used to have a case in Gombe. There were no flights to Gombe. We had to get to Abuja and travel almost six hours by road. Sometimes we’d get there, the judge would not be available, or the opposite side would

refuse to show up. And you have to meet those criteria for your SAN qualification process.

I wasn’t really interested in the rank because it’s a title or some form of a dignified elevation. I just thought that it would assist the kind of work that I am doing. It’s a privileged rank with its benefits, no doubt about that. So, when I was

the fact that you’re doing very well and you know what you’re doing. So it’s an accomplishment.

How do you deal with failure?

I think in everything, there’s a lesson to be learnt. So, when you say failure, I don’t think so much about failure. I ask myself “what am I supposed to learn from this experience? What am I supposed to do differently? It may be difficult, but there’s a lesson to be learnt from that experience. I eventually realise the message I need to learn; I’m grateful for it at the end of the day.

What’s your advice for young lawyers?

I will say this is the time for you to train yourself very well. Look for role models and mentors in the profession. If you have that opportunity, approach them and let them mentor you. If they don’t have the time, watch them from afar and see what they’re doing.

Don’t get carried away based on the fact that you can make quick money or you can get rich quickly. It’s a journey.

Let me tell you, things are bad at present, but it’s not going to be like this for a long time. Somehow, we will fix the problem, but at that time, the people who will be ready and available to be in different positions, whether as senior advocates or judges or top solicitors, are people who are ready and prepared.

conferred, yes, it felt fulfilling, but it’s also a new experience because the searchlight is on you. There is a lot of scrutiny about the way you do things, your carriage, and all that. Moreover, you just start a new level of Law practice all over, and I must admit, it comes with its own reward and pecks.

I feel fulfilled because if you compare the number of lawyers available; the ones with the SAN title are few. It’s a recognition of

If you’re doing something wrong, people know you. It’s a small industry. We know the lawyers are involved in shady practices and the good ones. You’ll be shocked that I’ve got referrals from judges who say go and approach him to help you with this case.

So, I’ll tell young lawyers to be patient; it’s a beautiful profession because of the opportunities that it gives you to interact with different sectors of the economy. But make sure you learn, make sure you train and make sure you have a good role model and mentor.

Meet Dr Ingy Badawy, a Highly Reputable Egyptian Lawyer

Dr Ingy Badawy kept her job at Shalakany Law Office till she became a co-founder and soon, Head of the practice group of the most distinguished law firm in Egypt. Her practice area in law also made her exceptional when it comes to transactions concerning shareholders, subscription management and escrow agreements, including merger and restructuring agreements.

Badawy also handles cross-border transactions and confidential equity funding transactions in a variety of industries including health care, banking and finance, energy and education, among others. Since her entry into the firm, she has successfully presided over the growth of Zulficar and Partners, making it one of Egypt’s most renowned law firms.

Other Miscellaneous Honourable Mentions

Since Ingy Badawy’s debut in law, she has been recognised for her expertise and quality of service. She is the founding partner of Zulficar and Partners law firm, the Head of Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions Department. She has also made her way into the firm’s Arbitration Department and has been a reputable member of the Egyptian Bar Association.

With specialty in Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, Badawy has practised law for more than twenty years with outstanding records in acquisitions and joint ventures and especially drafting and negotiating important contracts in Mergers and Acquisitions.

The Story Behind the Success

Badawy was born in 1972 in Cairo, Egypt.

As a vibrant kid that knew what she wanted, she opted to study Law at Cairo University in 1992. Soon, she started working at Shalakany Law Office, Egypt and by 1993, Badawy was admitted to the bar. Afterwards, she proceeded to get her first Master’s degree in 1994 from the Institute of International Business Law (Institut De Droits des Affaires Internationales), Cairo University in collaboration with the Sorbonne. By 1996, she bagged her second Master’s degree in Litigation and Arbitration from PantheonAssas University.

Dr Badawy still didn’t stop at that, she went ahead to get her Ph. D in International Arbitration, from the University of Paris I Sorbonne in 1998. Her vast legal learning and training instantly distinguish her among her colleagues, clients and prominent legal directories as a top-tier leading lawyer, problem solver and deal engineer.

Along with successfully representing a long list of top-notch clientele and garnering praise for her extensive knowledge of mergers and joint ventures, Badawy has experienced success in several other facets of life and professional enterprise. She is the Lead Counsel and Egyptian Partner serving on behalf of Coca Cola HBC and Coca Cola HBC Holdings BV in the purchase of roughly 94.7% of Coca Cola Bottling Company of Egypt S.A.E. from its key shareholders, for a combined purchase price of USD 427 million, subject to revisions.

In that same capacity, she also served as an Egyptian legal counsel to Bahrain’s Arab Banking Corporation and EFG Hermes and the Sovereign Funds of Egypt.

Indy Badawy has received numerous accolades worldwide, including being named the leading lawyer in the IFLR 1000 in 2015, one of the Zulficar Partners’ recommended lawyers in the LEGAL 500 and also ranked in the Global Chamber and Partners award in 2016/2019. In addition to that, she is a proficient speaker of Arabic, English and French.

How Dr. Chukwuechefu Ukattah’s Failure Made Him

Two destiny encounters in secondary school changed Chukwuechefu Ukattah’s academic trajectory. He moved from the bottom to dusting every examination and outshining the brightest of his peers until he hit a roadblock down the line. This experience made him question his ace track record and shattered his confidence.

Dr. Chukwuechefu Ukattah is an experienced maritime lawyer and currently a Partner at Olaniwun Ajayi LP, Nigeria’s leading and largest law firm. He shares his fascinating backstory with Business Elites Africa in this interview.

Did you choose this Law path, or your parents made the choice for you?

Technically, I was indirectly influenced to be a lawyer. My father was the last chief judge of the old Imo State and the pioneer chief judge of Abia state. So, growing up in an environment like that and seeing him wearing his ceremonial dress and going to court, you kind of get used to the legal profession and want to be like your father. In the family of six, five of us are lawyers. That’s why I said he indirectly influenced me. But he never for once said we must be lawyers. He always gave us the chance to choose whatever we wanted to become in life. I think I decided that I’d become a lawyer in primary four, and here I’m today.

Beyond your father’s influence, what spurred the decision at primary 4?

I think it was more about using the Law to change society. Growing up, I read a couple of my father’s judgments, and the conversations I had with him made me understand that as a lawyer, and ultimately if you become a jurist, it’s all about making an impact in society.

You are trying to change the life of the common man. You should see from that prism that you are trying to make a positive impact in society that would speak for your generation.

It was always about impacting society and changing people’s lives. He told me always to remember the common man and that if there is anything you can do to make their lives better, you should always try to do those things. So growing up, that was the philosophy, and I still have that philosophy today. Beyond trying to be a successful lawyer and make money, the Law is meant to be used as a tool to change your society and the life of your fellow man.

Where did your career journey begin?

I was called to the Nigerian bar in 2004. So the journey began in 2005 while I was in Sokoto State. I didn’t want to practice. I had left the University as the best graduating student in my class at Abia State University. I told myself to find a job at one of the International Oil Companies or the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (N.N.P.C.). But that year, I had the privilege of working in the chambers of a wonderful man, A. Y. Abubakar, at the Law firm of Al-Mustapha & Co. in Sokoto State.

A.Y Abubakar treated me like a brother and exposed me to the practice of Law. There was a time he wasn’t even going to court anymore. I was the one he would send to court in different states - like Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi states. That spurred my interest in legal practice. Although my father was a chief judge, it was really A. Y Abubakar that spurred my interest in Law.

When I left him, I returned to my state in 2006 and was privileged to work in the Law firm of Dr C.O Chijioke in Aba. That was really where I cut my teeth in legal practice.

Dr. C.O Chijioke, plus what I learnt from A.Y Abubakar, taught me how to use the knowledge of the Law to prepare pleadings very well - how to anticipate the moves of the opponent and move steps ahead of the opposing counsel. One of the things Chijioke taught me was his voracious hunger for knowledge.

That man reads; from Law reports and textbooks to articles. He always made me understand that if you don’t keep abreast of the development in our jurisprudence in

different areas of Law, you will be messed up in court one day. For instance, you might not be aware of the recent decisions of the Supreme Court on a matter, and you are still relying on the old one, and you went for a trial and are messed up there in front of your client.

In the past, most times in the southeast, unlike Lagos, if you are defending a matter or prosecuting somebody in court, your clients would come to court to watch you. And the worst thing that could happen to you as a counsellor is your client watching another counsellor mess you up in court.

Also, I wanted to travel abroad for my Master’s, and the area I was very passionate about was oil & gas Law. I would apply severally to the University of Dundee in Scotland, and they would give me admission, but I wasn’t getting a scholarship, and I didn’t want to ask my father for money.

After I was called to the bar, I told myself never to go back to my father for financial assistance. As a very young boy, I spoke to my father one day, and he said, ‘nobody gave me anything. Whatever you see me have today, I worked hard for it, and God was gracious to me, and that word continues to ring a bell in my ears till today. You don’t rely on what somebody else has, especially your parents. You have to strive to become somebody.

So, when the oil & gas pursuit didn’t work out for me, I settled for Maritime Law for my Master’s. Someone working with C.O Chijioke before I joined but left for the N.N.P.C. before I started working at the firm had called one of our colleagues in the office and asked him about the University of Cape Town and professor John Hare, who was respected in the maritime industry. He asked my friend to apply to the University of Cape Town for Master’s in Maritime Law. I overheard the conversation and went online, got the school’s details, and applied; the rest is history.

Initially, I went there only for Master’s, I didn’t plan to do a PhD, but I ended up doing it because Prof. Hare, who was like a father to me, advised me to enrol for my PhD. When I finished my Master’s with distinction, I

went to his office to say goodbye. Then, he asked me to sit down and asked me my age, I told him, and he said, ‘I know you are still a young man and you want to go back to Nigeria and start making money from maritime practice, but I will advise you to do a PhD in Law’. I didn’t plan that, so I stayed back in Cape Town for three more years to do my PhD. That’s one of the best advice anyone has ever given me.

Yes, I think so. Honestly, I think my tribal link came to the fore there. As an Igbo man, you always think about entrepreneurship and making money. So, I think it was about not just being a lawyer but being a lawyer in a field where you know you will be able to make money for your family.

My idea was that as much as you’re trying to change society, you must also make money because you have bills to pay. You have a family to take care of, and for us, it’s not just the nuclear family; you have the extended family too.

If knew I would settle for Maritime Law if oil and gas didn’t work out because I knew successful Maritime lawyers like Louis Mbanefo, Olisa Agbakoba, Mike Igbokwe and Chidi ilogu. I knew Maritime was lucrative and had it as my second option.

It wasn’t really that I wanted to get into maritime Law to make a difference; it was about getting into an area that I know is lucrative. But it has now gone beyond money: the Master’s and PhD I did, plus being taught by a charismatic lecturer like professor Hare, ignited a passion in me. Nobody who has passed through him will not have a passion for the maritime industry.

He will always say to us, ‘when you go back there (your country), look at your laws and see how you can change them to become better.’ So my life in the past eight years since I came back in 2014 has been to impact that industry.

I have written many articles on maritime topics, and I have tried to change certain

You started your career in litigation. Why the switch to Maritime? Is it because it’s a viable industry?

misconceptions that we have in our maritime jurisprudence. I have been trying to align them with international best practices.

Have you failed at anything before, and how did you handle it?

Of course, I have. As a child, I wasn’t the brightest. I remember in primary school then, in a class of 40 students, I’d be the 25th in the ranking of best students. If they had told my teachers then that I would be a PhD holder, they wouldn’t believe it. But something changed in my Junior Secondary School 1 (J.S.S. 1) after encountering two old women.

I ran into these individual women at different times within the space of two weeks. They were walking on the street and carrying very heavy stuff. In the first week, this old woman was walking on the street (school road, Umuahia, Abia State) with her load, and I saw that three of my classmates had

worked past her, so I offered to help her carry the stuff.

She just looked at me and gave it to me. I carried it to where she was going, and immediately I dropped off the stuff, she started blessing me, and I thanked her when she was done.

The following week, another old woman was carrying a heavy load on the same street, and I also stopped to help her out. When I dropped off the stuff, like the first woman, she also blessed me. After these episodes, something happened to my brain.

I don’t know how to explain it to people. Since that incident, if I see something once, except I don’t want to remember it, it sticks to my brain.

My brain just changed, and I became a highflyer in secondary school. I started coming first. I took the General Certificate Examination (G.C.E.) at S.S. 2 and had six

A’s and three C’s. I got admission into Abia State University in my S.S. 2; I got into the University at the age of 16. It was smooth sailing for me from there. I was the best student in my class at the University, and I had a distinction in my Master’s, but I had a setback in my PhD.

I realised that there is always a difference when you are not passionate about something. I had struggled to put my thesis together, and when I finished, I submitted it. There was a panel of three examiners; one passed me, the second asked me to make some changes, while the third examiner, a highly respected academic in South Africa, tore the thesis apart from chapter one to the end. That was a failure of the highest order. Then, the University of Cape Town gave me one year to do the revision and submit it. It was going to be an entirely new thesis altogether. The worst part was that the thesis was in a new area, so there was not enough material written on the topic globally. So, it wasn’t possible to revise it in one year. And I found it difficult to deal with the fact that I went for something for the first time in my life and couldn’t get it. I had sleepless nights. I couldn’t even write one page for the new thesis.

Thankfully, I had a great support system. That’s why you can’t talk about your success story without talking about wonderful friends and people. My wife, who is a Zimbabwean, was there for me. I also had a very wonderful friend, Dr. Wole Akinyeye. He’s the kind of friend every man should have. He was doing PhD in Maritime Law too. That man followed up with me every single day, encouraging me to keep pushing. Before I knew it, I had written an entirely new thesis.

That incident taught me that failure is an experience everyone will have at one point. But you must not let it define you. It’s up to you to decide whether you will allow the experience to make or break you. That experience also taught me how to do research more and made me become a better legal writer. That failure that took my self-confidence made me who I am today. I always tell people that you’re finished if your self-confidence is taken away. Never let anything take that away from you.

By Dimeji Akinloye

From not wanting to be a lawyer to becoming a Partner at Banwo & Ighodalo, one of Nigeria’s leading Law firms, Kehinde Ojuawo’s dashed dream of becoming a wealthy accountant or diplomat was not so bad after all. The bright commercial Law expert shares his journey to career success with Business Elites Africa in this interesting interview.

Many know you as an accomplished commercial lawyer, but I assume the journey to that feat was not a cakewalk. Share your growth story with us, starting from why you chose to study Law.

Firstly, people often find it surprising when I tell them that I didn’t set out to be a lawyer!

“My Father Forced me to Study Law” – Kehinde Ojuawo

While growing up, I believed I would make a good Accountant or Diplomat. I used to be a non-conformist and was set in my own ways, which were not always conventional.

One of the first significant audacious decisions I took was to opt out of science-related subjects in year three of Junior Secondary School at the Nigerian Navy Secondary School Abeokuta, though I excelled at them. My father was disturbed by my decision, considering that the sciences offered me a wider variety of professional disciplines, typically regarded as prestigious. He had always emphasised the need for my siblings and me to study professional courses, which ensured that we could establish our own practicesindividually or in partnership.

As a negotiated compromise, my father supported my decision not to continue with science-related subjects on the condition that I would study Law. It was an acceptable deal at the time since I was, and I have remained, a very ardent believer and advocate of social justice, fairness, freedom, and civil liberty. So, that was how I missed out on being a rich Accountant or widely travelled career Diplomat!

When writing the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination, after year six, I was already boxed-in and committed to studying Law from year three! However, I also learnt a lifelong lesson from this experience: with dedication and focus, one can thrive in situations where one finds oneself. Therefore, although I am still not a “natural lawyer”, I have managed to become a Partner in a leading Law firm. That experience has also helped dispel stereotypes such as colloquial statements, commonly made in my formative years, that only people who are loquacious lawyers

make good lawyers! Now I know that with an analytical and logical mind - of course, among several other qualities - one can be a good lawyer.

Interestingly, even though I mentioned that I didn’t initially set out to be a lawyer, I decided to give my all to legal practice from the time I ventured into it. Yes, there were occasions when I had and considered offers to switch to seemingly more financially lucrative in-house roles. I realised that legal practice is prestigious, and it afforded me the opportunity to make a socio-economic impact, which is a value and purpose dear to me, and earn many more rewards which cannot be quantified. Most importantly, with perseverance, legal practice can be financially rewarding.

Perhaps, it has also helped tremendously that I have been fortunate to have been associated with the very best Law firms in my career.

What challenges did you have to overcome at the beginning of your journey?

I decided to study for a Masters’ degree shortly after qualifying as a lawyer, and then I stayed back in England for a while before returning to Nigeria. Before then, I had lost about two years (cumulative) due to various disruptions to our academic sessions in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, because of vibrant student union activism and other strike actions that occurred during my time at the University. Therefore, I was behind, or so I thought. Nonetheless, I decided to commit a lot of time, and by that, I mean extremely long work hours, nearly on a “24-7” basis. That

In your early years in practice, were there experiences that made you doubt if you still wanted to pursue a career in Law?

work ethic and lifestyle has remained with me to date.

Also, I discovered that Law, like other social science concepts, is an evolving discipline. Whereas the fundamental principles remain constant, client needs and market practices are dynamic. However, I am very grateful that I joined Banwo & Ighodalo, which is renowned for being innovative, solution-focused and, above all, has a culture of rewarding merit. With hard work, dedication, quality exposure to the Law firm and support from superiors and colleagues, I could adjust and level-up within a short period.

Why the choice of commercial law?

That is a good question. Before I completed my University education, I was not exposed to commercial Law practice. In those times, litigation lawyers and Law firms, particularly those founded by human rights activists during the turbulent era of military rule and pro-democracy activism in Nigeria, were more famous. Therefore, many Law students in my time, especially those that did not study in schools located in commercial cities like Lagos, including my friends and I, aspired to practice in leading dispute resolution firms. We thought, “what was the point of being a “Barrister” if you are not practising in your wig and gown.”

I got exposed to large-scale commercial Law practice when I interned at one of the leading commercial Law firms in Lagos after I left the University and before studying at the Nigerian Law School. I got that opportunity through sheer providence – one of my friends had an uncle whose office was located opposite that Law firm. My friend encouraged me to apply for an internship position in a Law firm. I didn’t take the issue seriously, but I decided to write the test, which was an aptitude/ psychometric test rather than a test of my legal knowledge and skills. That was the first time I wrote such a form of test, and, fortunately, I passed and started work there.

It was indeed a life-changing experience for me. I learnt a lot during those 3 months, particularly about commercial Law practice and business acumen. I remain eternally grateful to the two founding Partners of

that law firm, which has since merged with other Law firms to form a much larger and prominent law practice, for helping to reshape my perspectives about law practice, my career and life, in general.

Commercial Law practice has afforded me the opportunity to work as a lawyer while also being deeply involved in structuring transactions and participating in businessrelated discussions. That way, I have been able to engage with practitioners in several other disciplines and learn much more than core law-related matters.

What was the biggest project you ever worked on, and how did you land it?

That is a very difficult question. Working in Banwo & Ighodalo, a first-tier Law firm, has given me opportunities to participate in several novel, landmark, challenging, market-defining, and rewarding transactions and projects, many of which are valued in billions of United States Dollars. Apart from transactions with significant monetary value. I am particularly happy and grateful to have worked on projects that have had and continue to have a positive impact on many lives.

As a lawyer, what gives you satisfaction and fulfillment?

It must be seeing the impact of projects I have advised on – refineries, petrochemical plants, power plants and other notable and topical infrastructure projects. Restructuring and revitalisation of leading corporate organisations, including affiliates of leading multinational ventures), among others. Law practice has granted me access to participate in meetings and other fora where I have been able to interact with, and earn the respect of top government officials, captains of industries, entrepreneurs, academia, among other leaders and to be part of making a difference in society.

How do you handle failure?

I am a perfectionist. Therefore, it is not a surprise that one of my greatest fears in life is the fear of failure. For this reason, I spend a significant portion of my time, including

during my sleep, constantly thinking about matters I am involved in, evaluating various scenarios, predicting potential eventualities, and planning to avoid surprises or failure.

Graciously, I have not had too many experiences of major failure, particularly professionally! Nevertheless, I have learnt that failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently and with the benefit of hindsight and experience. However, it is natural and human to sulk and feel dejected when failures occur, especially after taking steps to avoid same. I have learned to pick myself up whenever I experience setback, learn from any mistakes or omissions made and forge ahead.

In your experience, how does one build a commercially viable business in Nigeria?

• Engage and retain knowledgeable and experienced personnel and advisers. It may initially seem that you are paying a premium, but the value almost always far outweighs the costs. Advisers and quality work force help to put in place and entrench structures, culture and values, based on their invaluable experiences that help businesses to thrive.

• Even where it initially doesn’t seem beneficial to do so, try not to cut corners or circumvent due processes.

• Carefully pay attention to growth, don’t get excitable, be cautious and save for the rainy days.

• Invest in intangibles, such as work culture and ethics. Never compromise on your values as this is what you will be known for in years to come.

• Have a resilient mindset because challenges will come. However, even through the challenges, try hard not to compromise on the standards of your service, products, and offerings. In due time, this will speak for your business. To do this, you must be doing something you believe in and that gives you a deep sense of purpose. It is that purpose that will keep you going during the difficult times.

By Dimeji Akinloye

Aleem Tharani: An Advocate Driving Tangible Outcomes in Kenya’s Energy Sector

Aleem Tharani is a trailblazing lawyer whose work in Kenya’s corporate and energy sectors speaks for itself. Tharani started his career in the corporate space but eventually found his passion in the energy sector and has been influencing its development in leaps and bounds.

Business Elites Africa caught up with this legal eagle. Enjoy.

I wouldn’t say it was necessarily a mistake. Still, it wasn’t until I undertook my legal practice course at Nottingham Law School that I started to enjoy implementing the theory of law I studied during my undergraduate degree. I consider myself very fortunate to work in a profession for which I have passion and a burning ambition.

My advice to those starting on this journey is to ensure that whilst it is important to be practical about the disciplines we choose to pursue and their ability to allow us to earn and live well, it is also essential to choose a path that activates your intellectual curiosity and will to dedicate your time.

It is inevitable that, at some point, you will have to make compromises to pursue success in your professional career. It will help if you make such compromises concerning an area in which you genuinely.

You thought studying law was a mistake early on. Why and how did you eventually blend in?

Did you start your career in energy law and why did you make that choice?

I started my career as more of a general corporate M&A practitioner. It wasn’t until 2010 that I started working in the energy sector, and I ended up there by chance, but it was love at first sight! I enjoy being part of a practice area where there is a tangible outcome for the work that we put in.

It is a very fulfilling feeling to be able to visit a wind farm or solar farm, or use an expressway on which you have advised. These projects have a significant social and developmental impact, and it is a privilege to work on such projects.

Tell us your story of your rise to becoming a Partner at Bowmans, a leading African law firm?

I joined Bowmans as a partner (lateral hire) in 2019. Bowmans is a leading African law firm with a track record of providing specialist legal services for over a century. With eight offices in six African countries — Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, we are differentiated by our independence and the quality of legal services we provide. A law firm owned by Africans for Africa.

You’re one of Kenya’s top energy and infrastructure lawyers at under 40. What are your success ingredients?

Key to everything is working hard and smart. For me, that is the rule, and there are no exceptions. If you aren’t willing to work hard and put in the effort, then the chances are that you will not be very successful in your career.

There is also a little bit of luck involved. Good opportunities need to come your way, and you must make the most of them when they do. Treat people with respect and always behave with integrity; good things will happen for you.

Always remember that the team is always more important than the individual. You

are much stronger as a collective. Invest well in building trust and capacity within your team, and success will follow. It is always essential to have good mentors in life, people who can share their wisdom and lessons with you.

There is no substitute for experience and wisdom. Sometimes it helps to have someone to reach out to for guidance and advice. It is also important to be a mentor for people. Pass on your experiences so that others can learn from you, and hopefully, some of what you have learned and passed on will help others in their professional journey.

What other sectors would you say are the most lucrative for legal practice in Africa?

Election petitions always seem to do well from time to time, Jokes aside, new markets and new technologies are being discovered and created all the time, and the focus of these is on the consumer. So, the consumer sector will continue to see strong growth.

Disruptions in the healthcare and education sectors are already happening. Access to affordable healthcare and education is a big issue for our continent. And with the advancement of technology and the paradigm shift that’s taken place over the last couple of years concerning people’s willingness to consider remote learning and working.

I think these are exciting sectors to keep an eye on. If the last 6-12 months have highlighted anything, it is that we need to improve food security as a country and as a continent. We should heed the warning and learn our lessons in this regard, and I think we have. Hopefully, this will result in establishing new and growing existing agribusiness operations.

Have you failed at anything, and how do you handle failure?

It’s okay to fail. It’s not a bad thing. It’s part of the learning process. Not trying at all or not doing your best isn’t acceptable. When you fail, you must analyse; what you could have done better. What could others have done better? Learn the lessons and try again.

People say young achievers often get distracted by accolades and their laurels, do you feel that way sometimes?

It is always excellent for our hard work to be recognised. However, it is pleasant as a by-product. It shouldn’t be the main reason we go to work and do what we do. The motivation has to be involved in something that is greater than oneself, to make a meaningful difference and impact the lives of others through the work we do daily. Don’t get me wrong, success is always welcome, and recognition is a vital part of pushing us to achieve even bigger and better things, but it should not be the driving force.

In your opinion, is the desire to want a lot of money enough to drive you to become successful?

I think the answer to this is the same as what I have said above. The desire should be to be involved in something meaningful, something that matters to you and something for which you have a genuine desire and passion.

Not just working a job for the sake of it or because it’s what everyone else is doing. Choose your own path and leave everything on the field. Don’t short-change yourself or look for shortcuts. Money and success are nice by-products, and if you put effort into whatever it is you choose to do, success, money, and accolades will come, but for me, it is not my driving force.

In hindsight, what career advice would you give a younger version of Aleem Tharani?

In life, in anything that you do, always give your best. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, don’t sell yourself short. Value yourself, invest in yourself, and always learn! Learning never stops. Never rest on your laurels. Never pass up an opportunity to help someone if you can.

Most importantly, enjoy your life. Learn to have a good balance. Cherish and treasure your loved ones — those are the essential things that matter in life.

By Dimeji Akinloye

Beverly Agbakoba-Onyejianya: A Lawyer with Many Hats

After her Law degree, Beverly chickened out of legal practice because her father, a senior advocate of Nigeria, had raised the bar too high, and she might not be able to replicate or surpass his feat. She stayed in the shadows for ten years until fate led her back to Law.

Today, she’s breaking barriers in the legal circle and other areas of interest. She is

currently a Partner and Head of Sports, Entertainment & Technology (SET) at Olisa Agbakoba Legal. She story of struggle and success with the Business Elites Africa team.

Your parents are lawyers; your paternal grandfather was a judge; how was it like growing up in a family of lawyers?

My grandfather on my maternal side was a Permanent Secretary too in the old mid-

western region, which then became Bendel state. So, it was a very interesting childhood because I had a mix of not just professionals. I was very fortunate to be a third-generation educated person, which I realise is now a rarity. To have my grandparents and my parents and now me. It’s quite an honour.

I was exposed early on to a lot of knowledge, which gave me an appetite also to want to learn. I was reading voraciously from about five. I remember my dad bought me

my first encyclopedia set. I think it’s called an almanac for the 20th century. I had the appetite for reading very well, and it really put me in good stead because, now, not only do I still have a love for reading, I now like writing and not just legal material. I also write about personal development and then stories that my grandfather would tell me. Storytelling was a big part of my life.

You know there was no digital anything back then; you had to rely on oral history. So, I used to just sit at the foot of my granddad’s bed listening to stories, and that entertained me.

I know studying Law was a given. But you didn’t want to practice after your degree. Why?

I had this brief imposter syndrome. I felt like I could not fill my father’s shoes. He’s already done it so well, even my mom. I just didn’t know how on earth I could do it and be as good as he did. Back then, Law and legal career meant litigation, and I was petrified.

My mom too, found her niche in corporate commercial, but for some reason, when I think of Law back then, the corporate commercial side didn’t appeal. But that’s all I do now. But you know what? Even though I chickened out, it set me on the right path into the world of compliance and regulation, an area I love so much. Even when I eventually started practising Law, I didn’t leave it. I’m fortunate to be doing it for SMEs, MSMEs, and startups now.

I would have never considered compliance and regulation if I had just done exactly what my dad did. But at some point, I got bored and decided to return to Nigeria from the UK. Luckily for me, that was when compliance and regulation became a major function in financial services. So, I fit into the system very seamlessly. I was one of the pioneers of compliance in the country. I set up the Chapel Hill compliance department. I was also fortunate to have been one of the pioneer compliance officers at the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), where they had ceremonies to onboard compliance officers. It was a time when compliance was just being taken very seriously. So, I was basking in that euphoria. But then,

something happened, and I started feeling bored, and that call-back to Law came, and that was when I went to the Nigerian Law school and was called to bar.

What got you bored?

I did compliance for ten straight years. I think it’s because compliance has a slight degree of monotony. It’s about following rules, creating a framework, and ensuring the entire company is in line. So, there’s a lot of the check listing, and It shouldn’t be that way. A really good compliance officer goes beyond just check listing; you’re having conversations, and you’re building relationships internally. Well, I think after ten years of doing anything, sometimes you need a bit of change. I left a good job and went to Law school.

It was hard to find my fit when I started practising. A lot of conventions bind legal practice here. You can’t advertise; we’re not really seen as business people. Now things have changed a bit, but when I started practising, it was still bound by those old conventions, and I told myself, ‘hope I haven’t made mistakes.’ But as luck would have it, something led me towards the niche of sports, entertainment, and tech (SET). The sports element was easy because I was already running a football club. I just never connected the two.

My childhood friend, Kemi, inspired the entertainment side. She needed representation, and she said, I need you to represent me, and I said, Of course, I would, and she was my first client. And then, the tech side replaced fashion. Sometimes when something is not working, you have to make changes. So, we dropped fashion for tech. These practice areas were small but we did it afraid, and since then, it’s just really taken off.

Your story is full of trying new things and delving into new territories. Does the fear of failure not hold you back?

I think there’s an element of naivety when I approach certain things. I really don’t see the difficulty initially, which is a good thing but also bad because if you’re not

strong of heart when difficult times arise, you can quickly quit. Sometimes I wanted to quit the football club because it was hard. To even book pitches at the stadium in Surulere was hard. I’ve had so much bad luck; I’ve been duped. I just move on because I’m passionate about it, but I don’t just do it out of passion. I do it with that sense of structure, so that sense of structure drives the passion. The truth is, passion isn’t enough to drive things through; passion will ignite interest. Because of my compliance training, I can quickly create frameworks in my brain of how something should run.

You talked about the importance of building a network. How did you develop your network?

Your network begins with your education - the people you went to school with. If you stay in touch with them, that’s your network. I have a few people from my primary school network. I think my secondary school network is my main network. I’m friends with some of them till today. They form a good proportion of my network. Then, my career network is very important. I always say it, even if you don’t stay at a place long, work hard, do your best and don’t burn bridges. When you leave, keep in touch. I’ve kept in touch with people from all the places I’ve worked at. It’s important because you never know who might need your services or you may even need their services. My network got more interesting as I began to pursue my interests.

I think meeting people is not the problem; sustaining the relationship is the work.

Sustaining takes work. Some relationships are more active than others. Some are more passive than others. We now live in a world where you can have a relationship on the internet and with many people at once. So, you put yourself in their consciousness by putting your work out there. You’ve got all these social media handles; you’ve got Twitter, you’ve got Instagram, you’ve got YouTube. They now become a primary way of continuing to put yourself out there. I don’t now feel the need to tell people individually. I just rely on these platforms.

Ibiyemi Ajiboye is a brilliant corporate lawyer and a rising star at one of the most reputable Law firms in Nigeria, Banwo & Ighodalo. Early on, unlike most young people, he was convinced he wanted to be a lawyer after his exposure to notable human rights activists.

In this interview with Business Elites Africa, he talks about his struggle to choose between Law and medicine, his career and plans for the future.

Many lawyers I have spoken to said their parents largely influenced their decision to study Law. Did you have a similar experience?

Thank you, I know a lot about that kind of story, but I had the intention to become a lawyer all along. However, my dad wanted me to be a doctor. He believed doctors are well-paid. He was an accountant, so he wanted one of his children to be in science class and become a doctor.

I remember moving from junior secondary to senior secondary school when you had to decide whether to go to art or science class.

I went to the art class for the first term, and after my first term result

By

Ibiyemi Ajiboye is a Rising Star in Corporate Law

came out, my dad sat me down, and he was like, ‘I don’t want you to be a lawyer. I want you to go to science class and start reading books like biology, physics, and chemistry. I obliged when I resumed the second term. Thankfully, there was guidance and counselling in my school then, so I went to inform them that I wanted to change to science class because my dad wanted me to become a doctor.

They reviewed my result for the previous term and said, ‘why do you want to change? You performed very well and you are the best in your class and came third overall.’ At this time, my dad didn’t even know I had Hemophobia. I never liked the sight of blood. So, based on the persuasion of the guidance and counselling team, plus my conviction, my dad succumbed and gave me the go-ahead to study Law.

What sparked your interest in the legal profession?

What inspired me were the likes of Gani Fawehinmi and Afe Babalola and their human rights activities. And another thing also was the regalia. I loved the way lawyers dressed in court.

After school, where did your career journey start from?

After University, I went to Law school for one year, and I was called to the bar in 2017. In the next year, I resumed in Banwo & Ighodalo for my National Youth Service Corp. During N.Y.S.C.; we were made to rotate through the firm’s various practice areas.

We have Corporate, Securities and Finance, Litigation, Arbitration, and Alternative Dispute Resolution. We also have Intellectual Property, Information Technology, Media and Entertainment Law. We have Energy and Natural Resources, Shipping Aviation and International Trade.

So I rotated through those practice areas during my N.Y.S.C., but in the process, I developed an interest in Corporate and

Commercial, particularly Private Equity, Merger and Acquisition.

Why the interest in Private Equity, Merger, and Acquisitions? Was it more lucrative?

Not really. When I was rotating in the various practice areas, there was a transaction I was involved in while in Private Equity. During the due diligence, my eyes were opened to how a business runs and the different intricacies and nuances of these companies. That spurred my curiosity.

How has the experience been working in one of the most reputable Law firms in Nigeria?

I must say it has been educating and enlightening. Banwo & Ighodalo is like a family. I have never regretted coming to work here, as it has helped me grow both professionally and as a man. I have also learnt from mentors both in the profession and in life. It has really been a good experience, I must say.

As a corporate lawyer, I’m sure you have learnt some lessons on what not to do in business as a Nigerian entrepreneur. What are some of the mistakes you think some Nigerian entrepreneurs make when setting up a business?

For instance, the Law prescribes you should have at least two directors in a company, and some companies are sector regulated and these regulators prescribe what they also want on the board.

For example, a sector regulator can prescribe that a company should have at least three independent directors, and maybe a company just has four directors who are executive directors, and one or two independent directors in this instance, the company is not complying with what the Law requires.

Basically, that has been the lapses I have seen. In addition, based on the code of

corporate governance, a company is required to hold board meetings and Annual General Meetings (AGM). Some companies don’t hold this meeting regularly, and some don’t hold it at all. These are the lapses I see when advising companies.

And there are consequences for these infractions. Which can be inability to file post-incorporation document at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

For instance, a company must hold AGM to file annual returns at the CAC. If a company does not hold AGM, where the auditors will present the company’s financials and same laid before the shareholders, the company will not be able to file annual returns at the CAC.

Do you still have to file returns if the company is not profitable yet?

Yes. It doesn’t matter if you are profitable or not. A company is required to file annual returns because failure attracts penalty under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA). Also, a company can be struck off the CAC register if it fails to file returns for about ten years. The company will also not be able to file post-incorporation documentation at the CAC.

What are your career goals?

I enjoy practising law, so I will like to rise through the ranks to become a Partner. I also want to explore academics, obtain a Master’s and doctoral degrees; and give back to the society through education.

Beyond the financial rewards, what drives you as a lawyer?

I think passion for what I do drives me as a lawyer beyond money. Then the fulfillment that a client is satisfied with the legal service I’ve provided within the ambit of the Law. I’m also giving back to the society one way or the other. In addition, the determination to be the best at what I do also drives me as a lawyer.

Why Africa’s Security Hinges on Justice and Rule of Law

The

Many economic experts and global entrepreneurs have described Africa as the next frontier of growth. This is evident by the region’s massive economic opportunities and social transformation possibilities enabled by its burgeoning youth population, many of whom are highly equipped with the necessary skills and competencies required to drive needed change.

However, beneath the silver lining is a dark cloud that could potentially undermine the continent’s future and dim her economic prospects. The region is increasingly becoming the epicentre of violent extremist activities and militant Islamist insurgencies which has exacerbated Africa’s humanitarian crisis and weakened her political institutions. While terrorism has existed in Africa for a long, it has risen sharply in the last decade as a direct consequence of social instability and fragile institutions. From Somalia to Mali, Nigeria to Mozambique, the story

has been the same as non-state actors have increasingly targeted civilian populations in brazen campaigns of violence.

Experts believe that the preponderance of human rights abuses by security operators and incidences of unjust treatment by government actors have become key drivers for violent extremist activities in the region.

Available data indicates that as of 2015, there were just over 380 organised violent

African government are racing against time to provide solutions to escalating violent extremist activities and deadly Jihadist campaigns which have resulted in thousands of deads and social crisis. However, sustainable peace cannot be achieved until the rule of law is well entrenched in security approaches.

attacks against the civilian population, leading to about 1400 deaths. But since then there has been a sharp rise in violent attacks; such that by 2020 well over 7000 terrorism-related atrocities were recorded in the region, resulting in 12519 fatalities, according to reports from the Armed Conflict Location and Events Data Project (ACLED).

The terrorism crisis has become so bad that Africa now dominates the global terror index; as seven of the top ten countries with

Special Report || By Joseph Ekeng

threat of terrorism and the unconstitutional change of government in a Ross the continent.

Causes of terrorism in Africa

The actual causes of extreme violent activities and terrorism in Africa vary within the context of her socio-cultural differences. However, there are a few similarities. For instance, the high illiteracy rate and widespread poverty are key enablers of terrorism. Many of the footsoldiers recruited by violent and terrorist outfits are poor and uneducated young men who feel let down by their governments and have sought refuge in the hands of terror organisations.

More so, the clear absence of good governance and the presence of weak democratic structures opens the door wide for corruption, impunity and disorganization to thrive.

In most parts of Africa, as a result of corruption, the militaries charged with providing security are underpaid paid, poorly trained and ill-equipped, making them unable to combat security threats. Various governments in the region have failed in their responsibility to provide security for a large majority of the citizens.

the highest terrorism risk are from Africa, according to global risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft report in 2020.

This situation is causing panic among African leaders and policymakers who have so far failed to provide the right answer to the spiralling crisis. The worsening violent activities and insurgencies provided a fitting backdrop for this year’s African Union Extraordinary Summit where the continent’s leaders gathered to proffer solutions to the

Dr Alex Vines of the Chattam House explained that in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Nigeria, the ruling class is unable to empower the military to discharge their roles. “Corruption has led to unpaid troops mutinying or deserting, as happened in Nigeria. Worse than corrupt, militaries in the Sahel are often viewed by marginalized groups as oppressors. Soldiers are often non-professional, used largely to protect the ruling incumbent.”

He also pointed out that the military in the region is known to violate the human and social rights of citizens without a system of accountability justice and this often stokes hostilities between the governments and their marginalized, poor, and neglected communities.

He stressed that Jihadist insurgencies thrive in such a vacuum, offering some measure

of order in the absence of adversarial government forces which provide few if any, public goods,” Dr Vine stated.

Terrorism in Nigeria

Without a doubt, the most notorious terrorist activity in Africa has taken place in Nigeria where Nigeria’s armed forces have been deployed in two-thirds of the states in the country and are overstretched as Boko Haram, Islamic State of West Africa (ISWA) and bandit groups expand their areas of operation. The Islamic Jihadist groups have said that they are determined to overrun the secular government of Nigeria and replace it with an Islamic State. Boko Haram first launched its Jihadist campaign in 2009 by attacking government buildings and disrupting social order in the North.

The government responded by capturing and killing the group’s leader Muhammed Yusuf in extrajudicial circumstances. But the situation has deteriorated since then.

Dr Vines explained that Boko Haram propagate fear through mindless killings, large-scale suicide bombing campaigns and mass kidnapping such as the abduction of more than 200 school girls in Chibok, in Borno State in 2014.

Since 2009, the violent campaign has resulted in fatalities running into several thousand.

In 2021 alone, the group was responsible for killing more than 2600 civilians according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. This is only a small fraction of the more than 35000 people that have been slaughtered by the Jihadist groups.

Besides, several million have been displaced in most parts of Northern Nigeria, and many of them still live in the Internally Displaced Camps scattered around the country. This has had adverse consequences on the healthcare delivery system and threatens food security in the country because Northern Nigeria is the food basket of the nation.

The violent activities have also spilt into other neighbouring countries like Chad, Cameroon and Niger, while also providing the backdrop for the proliferation of armed groups and deadly gangs who freely engage in mass kidnapping, murder and rape.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the security situation has resulted in a humanitarian emergency, with more than 8.4 million people – approximately 80 per cent of whom are women and children – requiring urgent assistance.

Nigerian Government treat terrorist with kid gloves

Under President Muhammadu Buhari, various counter-terrorism measures have been initiated to crush Boko Haram and violent extremist campaigns, but not many gains have been made. Buhari has significantly increased its military budget, and modern and sophisticated military hardware like the Super Tucano jets have been acquired, yet this has not stopped Boko Haram and ISWP from attacking civilian and military targets and killing hundreds.

Some analysts and politicians blame this on some reasons, chief among them is the fact that the government is not hard on terrorists.

One of the harshest critics of the administration’s handling of the anti-terrorism fight is Senator Ali Ndume. who accused Buhari of pampering terrorists.

Senator Ndume faulted the policy of rehabilitating so-called repentant terrorists, insisting that it is counter-productive to achieving sustainable peace. Ndume has lampooned government policy of deradicalization of terrorists and setting them free into society, without making them pay for their atrocities.

According to the outspoken lawmaker, “The government is doing this Operation Safe Corridor bringing in those people that tortured, and killed, and maimed. The memory is still fresh in our mind because our people are still displaced, and then you say you’re bringing them back, pampering them

and giving them start-up (capital),” he said.

Under the program Operation Safe Corridor, thousands of “repentant terrorists have been deradicalised and released to society, while millions of their victims are languishing at the IDP camps.

The role of rule of law

The African Union agenda 2063 insists that justice, rule of law and human rights are necessary conditions for a peaceful and conflict-free Africa. The framework stresses that it is not enough to escalate a military offensive against armed groups, the battle must be done within the ambits of justice and rule of law.

Sadly this has not always been the case because the African military infrastructure is not set up to incorporate justice and rule of law in their practice.

Hence, while there is an urgent need to scale up military protection for the vulnerable population, the government and security operators must understand the imperativeness of focusing more on social initiatives and political reform designed to confront the root cause of the problem.

Efforts must be accelerated toward the integration of Justice initiatives within the framework of conventional security apparatus, to achieve desired results. These two- the justice institutions and the security system must work hand in hand to achieve sustainable peace, development and good governance as a necessary condition for economic growth. The justice practitioners must see the security actors as partners and endeavour to understand the risk they face in the line of duty. On the other hand, security agencies must submit to the rule of law and respect the human and social rights of citizens.

How Raymond Zondo Forged his Path to the Highest Judicial Position in South Africa

Probing South Africa’s State Capture Allegations

Zondo was chosen by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng to lead the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, which will look into claims of corruption, fraud, and state capture in the public sector, including state organs. Former public protector Thuli Madonsela recommended that the chief justice (and not the president) appoint the commission’s chair since President Jacob Zuma would be compromised due to allegations of corruption against him. The Commission, commonly referred to as the Zondo Commission, was launched in 2018 and is an ongoing investigation.

Zondo’s path to Chief Justice

Before Raymond Zondo became South Africa’s chief justice, he was a vibrant young man with dreams. Zondo was born and bred in the rural town of Ixopo, Natal - now KwaZulu-Natal. He attended the University of Zululand and the University of Natal where he bagged a Bachelor of Laws.

An equipped Zondo set out on his journey, and served part of his articles of clerkship at the late Mrs Victoria Mxenge’s law firm in Durban. After Mrs Mxenge was assassinated by apartheid agents for her activism, he had to complete his training else where.

Zondo eventually joined the Durban law firm, Mathe & Zondo Inc. In 1997, he was appointed as a judge of the Labour Court. And was later appointed to the North Gauteng Division of the High Court - formerly Transvaal Provincial Division of the High Court.

Zondo went on to serve as Judge President of the Labour Court and the Labour Appeal Court for 10 years. As Judge President, he served on several Heads of Court committees, including the five-person panel headed by Chief Justice Pius Langa that looked into racial and gender discrimination issues in the legal system. The Heads of Court’s Language Committee was likewise presided over by Zondo.

In 2010, he returned to the High Court’s North Gauteng Division bench. Later on, The legal eagle went on to attain a Master of Laws in Commercial Law, Labour Law, and Patent Law from the University of South Africa.

When Justice Dikgang Moseneke retired from the Constitutional Court in 2017, Judge Raymond Zondo took over as the deputy chief justice. He served as an acting judge for a year prior to being appointed as a judge on the Constitutional Court in 2012.

Zondo served as an acting Constitutional Court judge from November 2011 to May 2012. He was appointed permanently in September 2012 and is now regarded as a prominent component of the Court’s conservative wing. President Jacob Zuma appointed Zondo to the position of Deputy Chief Justice in June 2017, succeeding Dikgang Moseneke, who retired in 2016. President Cyril Ramaphosa selected Zondo as the new Chief Justice of the South African Constitutional Court on March 10, 2022.

Aside from allegations made in Parliament concerning inflated living allowances Zondo received as Judge President of the Labour Court, which was ultimately resolved, his record as a court official is spotless.

In its submission to the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) in support of Zondo’s appointment to the ConCourt, the General Council of the Bar (GCB) stated that he “enjoys a reputation for integrity and ethical behaviour, and displayed a firm commitment to advancing the cause of a constitutional state founded on constitutional principles”.

The Making of Udoma Udo Udoma, the Man who Founded One of Nigeria’s Oldest Law Firms

firm – Udo Udoma & Belo Osagie – a firm which is now one of Nigeria’s oldest and largest commercial law firms. Udoma Udo Udoma is a Senior Partner of Udo-Udoma & Belo-Osagie. Even after taking a break to serve in public office, he returned to give the firm his full attention.

From humble beginnings, the firm would later expand to offer a wide range of services across several sectors. UUBO has a work portfolio in energy, healthcare, technology and real estate sectors, banking and secured credit transactions, structured Finance, refinancings, Islamic Finance and regulatory matters in the banking sector.

a Director and Vice Chairman. He started serving on the board of UAC of Nigeria Plc as Chairman on January 2, 2010 and became a Director on the board of Unilever Nigeria Plc in January 2008. He equally served as a Director of First Hydrocarbon Nigeria Limited.

Some names ring a bell or two in every profession due to their blaze trailing records and achievements. For legal luminaries in Nigeria, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma is one such name. Beyond attaining the height of his legal career, Udoma has served on different boards and committees for the government and the people.

Born on February 26, 1954, Udoma spent his early years in Lagos, Nigeria. He started his early education in Lagos, attending Corona School, Ikoyi, from 1962 to 1964 before moving to Uganda, where he completed his primary education at Nakasoro Primary School, Kampala. He returned to Nigeria and attended King’s College, Lagos, for his secondary education from 1966 to 1972.

He then proceeded to bag a B.A. (Law) degree, and a B.C.L. degree in jurisprudence from St. Catherine’s College, University of Oxford. He obtained another B.L. degree at the Nigerian Law School before he was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1978.

Founding UUBO

In 1983, Udo Udoma collaborated with Belo-Osagie to found a commercial law

Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie is now a multispecialisation full-service corporate and commercial law firm with offices in Nigeria’s key commercial centres. The firm’s corporate practice is supported by a company secretarial department, Alsec Nominees Limited, which provides a full range of company secretarial services and a sub-firm, U-Law which caters exclusively to entrepreneur, SME and MSME startups and growth businesses across several industries, including the FinTech industry.

UUBO has become a one-stop shop for all basic business-related legal needs, providing high-quality support in a simplified and straightforward manner.

Other positions served

Udo Udoma has served in several capacities outside the courtroom. He was appointed the first Chairman of the Corporate Affairs Commission in 1991 and later served as part-time Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Udoma joined the board of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc as a Director in November 2012 and became Chairman of the board in February 2013. He has also served on other boards, including Linkage Assurance Plc, where he served as

Udoma’s roles in public service started when he was appointed Special Adviser to the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources from 1993 to March 1994. He was later appointed as Chairman of the Presidential Committee Waivers, Incentives and Concessions in 2007. Besides these positions, Udoma has severally advised the Nigerian government on investment laws, company law, corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, raising financing in the capital and money markets, and major construction and engineering contracts.

Political Career

After the military dispensation, Udoma contested and was elected Senator for the Akwa-Ibom South constituency of AkwaIbom State and resumed this office in May 1999 as a part of the legislative body in Nigeria’s fourth republic. He served two terms as Senator and was appointed to several committees like Public Accounts, Judiciary, Banking & Currency, Science & Technology, Privatization and Drug & Narcotics. He also served as Chief Whip, Chairman of the Committee on National Planning, Revenue Mobilisation and Poverty Alleviation and Chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

On November 11 2015, Udoma, the Minister of Budget and Planning by President Muhammadu Buhari, served four years in this role. Even while giving active attention to his career in the corporate space and his legal firm, Udoma continues to offer his service in a formal and informal capacity to the government and several other international institutions.

Profile By Ruth Okwumbu

By Ruth Okwumbu

Wole Olanipekun: One of Africa’s Most Demanded Lawyers

After almost five decades of successful practice, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) has built a portfolio that spans constitutional Law, pre and post-election dispute resolution, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, labour law, commercial litigation, criminal Law and general practice.

Olanipekun is a mentor and role model to hundreds of successful legal practitioners within and outside Nigeria. The legal legend is linked to several of Nigeria’s landmark cases and is in top demand internationally as an expert in Nigerian Law. Once you know the story behind this luminary, it is not hard to see why.

Oluwole Oladapo Olanipekun attended Amoye Grammar School in his hometown Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, where he got his West Africa School Certificate (WASC) in 1969. He went further to the Ilesa Grammar school for another year, where he obtained the Higher School Certificate (HSC) in 1971.

After obtaining his, he went to study Law at the University of Lagos. He bagged his first degree, attended the Nigerian Law School and was called to the bar in July 1976.

Wole’s career started as a junior counsel with Messrs Oniyangi & Co Ilorin between 1977 and 1979. In 1980, he moved out to found Wole Olanipekun & Co. and became the Principal Partner. He became a notary public in 1987.

There is no area or field in which Wole Olanipekun & Co. has not covered cases over the years. From criminal to constitutional, labour, maritime, admiralty, banking, insurance, electoral, aviation, telecommunications, chieftaincy and intellectual property laws, as well as arbitration and dispute resolution. Whether handling its case locally or internationally, Olanipekun has proven to be a stickler for excellence. The firm is now rated to be one of the most notable in Nigeria, with a presence in all states of the country, and headquarters in Lagos State, Nigeria.

His invaluable contributions to the advancement of the legal profession in Nigeria earned him the coveted rank of a Senior Advocate

of Nigeria (SAN) in July 1991, roughly 15 years after he was called to bar. This was about the same period he was appointed as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Ondo State, a position he served for two years.

Higher responsibilities

Prominent leadership positions may not come until the later part of one’s career, but often the preparatory days start much earlier. From serving as Senior Prefect in secondary school to serving as the Chairman of the Students Representative Committee in Ilesa Grammar School, and later Editorin-Chief of the school magazine (The Spike), Olanipekun always stood out from the crowd. At the University, he also served as secretary-general of the Students’ Union between 1973 and 1974.

After two and half decades of a successful legal career, Olanipekun was elected President of the Nigerian Bar Association in 2002. His tenure as NBA president opposed oppression, repression, brutality, ruthlessness and injustice in all forms. In 2003, he became vice President of the Pan African Lawyers Union PALU by appointment. He is also a member of the International Bar Association, West African Bar Association (WABA), and Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association (CLA).

He has served as a member of the National Judicial council (NJC), Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC), Council of Legal Education, Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee and General Council of the Bar. One may rightly say that Olanipekun has been critical to the growth of the legal profession in Nigeria.

It was courtesy of Olanipekun’s efforts that a court agreed, for the first time in Nigeria, that the impeachment of a governor could be looked into and overturned if it strictly failed to comply with the Law regarding procedure. He led the team of lawyers who retrieved the mandate of ex-Governors Adams Oshiomhole and Olusegun Mimiko.

He also led a legal team for three presidential election petitions and won all.

Olanipekun has also extended his services into academia. He has served as the ProChancellor and Chairman of Governing Council of the University of Ibadan, Oyo state. He also doubled as the Chairman of the Court of Governors of the College of Medicine, UI. He was appointed as the Chairman of the Council of Ajayi Crowther University (ACU) Oyo.

In February 2021, Olanipekun became the pioneer chancellor of the newly established Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere.

He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (FICMC), the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (FNIALS) and the College of Education, Ikere (FCEI). Wole Olanipekun has written and presented over 100 papers on diverse topics in Law, including; Economics, Politics, Literature and Corporate Governance, within and outside Nigeria.

He has also been giving back to society through philanthropic efforts that include donating facilities to schools and educational institutions, the Wole Olanipekun Scholarship scheme that has provided educational support for about two decades, the Wole Olanipekun Foundation that has financially empowered hundreds of youths, women and aged people.

Recognitions

The Nigerian Body of Benchers appointed Oluwole Olanipekun a life bencher in January 2007.

In 2012, Oluwole Olanipekun conferred the national honour of the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR). In November 2014, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Letters, Honoris Causa (LL.D) by UI. Quite recently in November 2021, he was conferred with Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) by Redeemers University, Ede, Osun.

How Olaniwun Ajayi Built One of Africa’s Biggest Law Firms

From public service to private practice

six pence. The young teenager understood that, given his family’s financial realities, he would have to save up if he had any intentions of further pursuing his education. He started by saving a little over 20% of his monthly salary and later increased it to 50%. By the end of one year as a teacher, he had saved up £6 (six pounds).

He applied for a four-year teacher course at Wesley College, Ibadan, Oyo State, and was admitted. It was, however, a struggle to pull through the four years in college as his savings could only take him so far, and there was very little support to be expected from the family.

Resigning from UAC group threw Ajayi into a different terrain altogether. The then Governor of the Western State, Brig. Gen. Christopher Rotimi appointed Olaniwun as commissioner for education for two years and as commissioner for health for another three years.

After this brief stint in public service, Sir Ajayi set up his private practice as a lawyer. On November 2, 1962, Sir Ajayi founded the law firm Olaniwun Ajayi & Co. From the onset; it was designed to be an international legal practice since Ajayi himself had been called to the English Bar. The firm was focused on providing legal advisory, arbitration and receivership services.

Indeed the circumstances of a man’s birth are no grounds to predict how much heights he would attain. For the humble beginnings which Sir Olaniwun Ajayi started from, there could have been no telling just how far he would grow. Infact, some say he died a giant after making so many conspicuous contributions to family, the legal profession, and society.

Olaniwun Ajayi was born in his father’s small parlour in Isara Remo on April 8, 1925, to Mr Benjamin Awoyemi Ajayi, a farmer and Marian Efundolamu Ajayi, a petty trader. He was first taken to live and school at his uncle’s place in Epe, Lagos state, but stopped school after a while as his uncle could not keep up with paying the fees. His father took him back to Isara Remo, and he continued his primary education.

Olaniwun was quite intelligent, so much that after completing his primary education in Ode-Remo, the school engaged him as a teacher on a monthly salary of 10 shillings,

Finishing the course changed his financial lot significantly, as he became supervisor of schools for the entire Remo and Ijebu province. But teaching was, for Ajayi, only a means to his ultimate dream. He later travelled to the United Kingdom in 1957. He was admitted to the City of London College, Moorgate, London (now known as City University), where he studied to become a Chartered Secretary and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators.

He attended the London School of Economics and the Political Science University of London in 1959, where he obtained a Law degree. Expectedly, he had to work his way through school. He enrolled at the Council of Legal Education, Lincoln’s Inn as well, in 1959 and was called to the English Bar in July 1962. He was enrolled as Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on November 2, 1962.

Back in Nigeria, he worked in the legal department of UAC Group, and rose to the position of assistant group legal adviser.

Olaniwun Ajayi LP has built an extensive portfolio across the financial, corporate, energy and natural resources and regulatory advisory practice areas within the last 60 years. The firm has acted for some of the biggest corporations in Africa and across the globe and recently launched a Londonbased international practice fully licensed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, becoming the first law firm out of Africa to achieve this.

The firm is an international practice with lawyers qualified in multiple jurisdictions, including Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the State of New York. It has been involved in some of the biggest and most complex cases.

More than half a century after it was founded, the firm still stands strong among leading law firms in Nigeria and is internationally competitive. Under the leadership of Professor Konyinsola Ajayi, SAN, the firm has evolved into a limited partnership, Olaniwun Ajayi LP.

Sir Ajayi authored five books, including his autobiography and “Nigeria: Africa’s Failed Asset”. He retired from active legal practice about 20 years before he died on November 4, 2016.

Isioma Idigbe: Nigeria’s Media and Entertainment Law Evangelist

the real reason why I decided to do Law, it’s about solving people’s problems, it’s about helping people.”

So far, Idigbe has made a name for herself by helping major local and international clients navigate critical situations and resolve their matters. She is recognised as a speaker for various local and international conferences and has performed for the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers (IAEL) which normally holds annual conferences in Cannes, France.

Other Personal Achievements

Isioma Idigbe’s passion for art, culture and some unattainable goals didn’t prevent her from becoming a lawyer; instead, she combined her enthusiasm with her talent and created something out of the ordinary. The inventive attorney and founder of the University of Kent Nigerian Law Society, is also the head of media, entertainment and intellectual property law at Punuka Attorney and Solicitors. And since her debut, Idigbe has immensely continued to contribute to the development of the Nigerian film industry through workshops, consultations and presentations.

Early Life

She completed her junior and senior secondary schooling at Igbinedion Secondary School and Atlantic Hall Co-educational Secondary School respectively.

At that point, choosing a career path was the next step, and initially, she had no plans to become a lawyer. According to Idigbe in an interview, “I had intended to be a politician and when I started to think about how I was going to make a living, I was not willing to be corrupt. It didn’t seem like there was much of a living that I could make from being a politician, so the next best thing for me was

to be a lawyer because that would give me the opportunity to fight for people’s rights, like, on behalf of a client”.

She enrolled in the University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom in 2010 to study Law and on getting back to Nigeria, she registered with the Nigerian Law School. It was during this course that she was inspired by her partner to pursue a further legal education. She learned that her partner’s creative industry friends were constantly faced with legal problems and out of the desire to help, she developed a passion for Entertainment Law and decided to study at Osgoode Hall Law School at York University Toronto, Canada in 2016.

Debut into the Media and Entertainment Law

At first, it felt like a hard nut to crack since the technique was new to Nigeria, but Isioma Idigbe persevered and began working at the family business, where she practised, received training, and made the most of the opportunity.

When she completed her study in Entertainment Law, Idigbe came back to build a reputation for herself while earning a decent living from it. In an interview with Daily Family, she stated “When I came back I had this pool of clients and really, it comes back to

Aside from being the founder of the University of Kent Nigerian Law Society, she is also its first president and a student mentor in the Kent Law School Professional Mentoring Scheme.

Along with serving as the managing director of Verif Content Company, which deals with intellectual property in Nigeria, she is also the secretary of the Music Publishers Association of Nigeria (MPAN).

Outside her firm work, Idigbe has been heavily involved in policy work affecting Nigeria’s film industry, including leading the research team on the regulatory framework in the Nigerian Film and Television industries.

Occasionally, she would also organise extensive Media and Entertainment Law training sessions in Nigeria, including the annual free training she offers to her firm’s media and entertainment groups at the prestigious Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF).

Due to her achievements in the Nigerian film industry, she has received the Rising Star Award at the 2018 Law Digest Awards. “Sometimes, you step into something new to solve problems and money will come after, you need to understand that if money is the end goal it might not always work out,” Isioma Idigbe once said in reference to her audacious decision to launch a whole new practice.

The Story of Muhammad Dele Belgore SAN, a Successful Commercial Lawyer Cum Politician

Commercial & Applied Contract law in 1984. He then returned to attend the Nigerian Law School, and was called to the Bar as a Solicitor & Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1985. He became a Notary Public in 1997, and would later become one of the few legal practitioners to attain the coveted title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria at the age of 40, when he was conferred with the rank in 2001.

Career

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is a trend that became quite the vibe in legal practice in recent times.

Muhammad Dele Belgore is one of the most notable experts in this field of arbitration and mediation, and his story makes a quite interesting read any day.

Mohammed Dele Belgore was born on June 25, 1961, to Justice Belgore whom we now acknowledge to be the longest serving Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. He had his early education in Nigeria, attending Capital School, Kaduna and Offa Grammar School, before he moved to the United Kingdom. He finished from the Shoreham Grammar School in Sussex, England before proceeding to the University of Hull, England to bag his LLB (Hons) in 1983.

The next move was to the University of Bristol (England) where he obtained his (LLM) in

The law career for Belgore started with a role as Legal Officer with the Nigerian Merchant Bank Limited from 1985 to 1986. He moved next to Chief Rotimi Williams’ Chambers, Lagos as Legal Counsel, and served from April 1986 to September 1989.

In May 1989, Muhammad Belgore together with his learned colleagues, co-founded the law firm Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe & Belgore. For over three decades, the law firm has earned its reputation as one of Nigeria’s leading commercial law firms. As a partner with the Sofunde Osakwe Ogundipe & Belgore (Legal Practitioners), Belgore has demonstrated commendable skill in corporate advisory, corporate governance, strategic planning, commercial litigation and arbitration.

The firm now has an extensive network of correspondent associates, who make it possible for the firm to offer its services across the country. It has the added reputation of being

about the only Nigerian law firm with its in-house investigation department, a sharp edge over others. Sofunde Osakwe Ogundipe & Belgore legal practitioners offer services in dispute resolution, corporate & commercial advisory, Money & Capital markets, Asset recovery, and other international works.

In legal service

Belgore assumed the position of 1st Vice Chairman of the Nigerian branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in 2006. He also served as the chairman of the subcommittee on Training & Development of the Nigeria branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, which conducted training programmes in Nigeria & Ghana.

He was a founding and executive council member of the Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria, member of the Editorial Committee of the Newsletter of the Nigeria branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and faculty member of Euromoney Legal Training. Belgore is an Accredited Mediator with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR).

As an active arbitrator, Belgore teaches and writes for journals and speaks at seminars on arbitration. He is also an approved tutor of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators for training programmes at all levels, including training for Fellowship status.

Muhammad Belgore is a member of the International Bar Association (IBA); Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb); London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA); International Chamber of Commerce (ICC); Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria (MAAN); Nigeria Bar Association (NBA); Nigeria Insurance Law Association; Nigeria Maritime Law Association; and Institute of Directors (IOD).

Other interests

Belgore ventured into active partisan politics in 2011 on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Profile By Ruth Okwumbu

Elizabeth Idigbe’s Path to Dominance in Nigeria’s Energy & Property Law Space

was called to the Nigerian Law School and earned her Barrister at Law (B.L.) in 1987.

Idigbe attended the University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos and obtained a Master of Laws (LL.M) in 1989. She became certified in advertising by the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria in 2002.

Two years later, she received a Diploma in Advertising from the same body. As an arbitration lawyer, in 2015, she received a Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration and a Diploma in International Arbitration in 2016 from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, United Kingdom, doubling as a fellow of the institution.

Elizabeth Idigbe is one of the leading female lawyers in Nigeria. She serves as the Managing Partner and Partner in Charge of Energy & Power, Real Estate, Trust & Wealth Management, and Company Secretarial Practice Groups at Punuka Attorneys and Solicitors.

With over 33 years of experience in the corporate and private sectors of the economy, she has built a pristine reputation in the legal subsects of oil and gas, arbitration, debt factoring and restructuring, real estate & project finance, foreign direct investment, and general corporate practice, earning her the best female Managing Partner in Africa award from Law Digest Africa.

In building her career, Elizabeth worked in different industries, such as banking and oil and gas. While working in oil and gas, she served as the General Manager in charge of Human Resources, Corporate Services,

and Company Secretarial at Forte Oil Plc, previously known as African Petroleum Plc. from there, she left and returned to the firm.

Speaking about her experience after returning to the legal space under the umbrella of Punuka Attorneys & Solicitors, a multidimensional law firm with a diversified portfolio and client base, she said, “Each day is very different as I am faced with new challenges and clients both locally and internationally.

To continue to meet up with these demands, I have been compelled to update my knowledge base constantly. Over the years, I have developed a special interest and expertise in the following areas of practice; oil and gas, capital market, company secretariat, real estate, estate planning and probate, and arbitration.”

Career attainment

Elizabeth Idigbe became a certified lawyer from the University of Benin, Edo State. She

Idigbe is also a member of the International Bar Association, the International Trademark Association (INTA), the Business Recovery & Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN), Women in Management & Business, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), and the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON).

Roles filled on her career path

Elizabeth Idigbe served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration, UK (Nigeria Branch), from 2017 to 2019. She once occupied the General Manager HR/Corporate Services/ Company Secretariat seat of Forte Oil Plc, previously known as African Petroleum Plc.

Idigbe was also the Company Secretary/ Legal Adviser for the extinct Ivory Merchant Bank Limited and an Associate of Chike Chigbue & Co.

She is, however, not all work and no play. Whenever she is not working, she uses her time to work out and get involved in charity and community development, both on the basis of personal commitments through the Punuka Foundation.

Profile By: Oyetoun Olabisi

By Wale Ameen

Chief Afe Babalola: Celebrating the Life of a Legal Luminary

The institution indeed is a pace setter in terms of how an educational outfit should be run, as it boasts of the best of facilities.

When the roll call of notable legal luminaries is reeled out not just in Nigeria but in Africa as well, one name that will feature prominently is that of Chief Afe Babalola.

Chief Afe Babalola, an Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) is not only a notable name in the legal world, he also stands tall in the nation’s educational sector for his contributions to the sector.

He is the founder of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), one of the leading private universities in Nigeria.

Even though he didn’t have it easy growing up in an non-plastered native mud house, in a time where even water was a rare commodity. He had no shoes to wear to school and only had a pair of white tennis shoes bought for him by his mother which he wore only on Sundays. According to him, “On my return from the church I used to clean my tennis shoes, wash them, apply white Nugget, dry them and keep them till the next Sunday.”

Such ugly situations never held him back from the bright future he had ahead of him.

Growing Up

Born on October 30, 1929, he attended Emmanuel Primary School, Ado-Ekiti and enrolled for the Senior Cambridge School Certificate examination by private study and subsequently obtained an A-Level certificate from London University before proceeding to the London School of Economics, where he got a bachelor’s degree in Economics.

He worked briefly with the Central Bank of

Nigeria after which he went back to school, again to the University of London where he enrolled for a degree in Law. He was subsequently called to the Bar and became a member of Lincoln’s Inn, London.

He began his law practice, starting out at Olu Ayoola and Co in Ibadan, Oyo state.

He, however, spent only two years with Olu Ayoola and Co. and set up his own law firm, Emmanuel Chambers, in Ibadan, and since then it’s been a journey of achievements.

In 1987, he attained the status of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and his Chamber is also noted to have produced the highest number of SANs so far in the country.

Exploits in the Educational Sector

Before setting up the Afe Babalola University, he was appointed as the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2001. During his stay there, he won the Best Pro-Chancellor Award for two consecutive years in 2005 and 2006, a testament to his exceptional tenure. It was during his tenure that the University of Lagos recorded many notable developments, as he was able to influence the investment in the university of a number of companies such as the Dangote Group.

Speaking on what inspired his setting up of the Afe Babalola University situated along the road to Iluomoba-Ekiti, the legal luminary said the University was built purposely to teach others how to run a university.

The university’s teaching hospital is a reference point when compared to others in the country. It boasts of eight modular theatres, CT-Scan and MRI scan machines, 16 kidney dialysis machines and an ICU ward that the most popular teaching hospitals in the country do not have.

Chief Afe Babalola is an entrepreneur. His integrated mechanised farm, where large quantities of crops and animal production of different species are carried out, is said to be one of the largest employers of labour in Ekiti state.

Honours and Awards

Chief Afe Babalola is a recipient of quite a number of awards. In 2015, he was honoured with Doctor of Law (LLD) (Honoris Caucas) by the University of London, his alma mater.

In September 2017, he bagged the award of a Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) from the Nigeria Defense Academy University, Kaduna for his immense contribution and service to the nation.

He is also the recipient of Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from the University of AdoEkiti, Ado-Ekiti, 2000; Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) (D.Litt) Kogi State University, 2012; Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) University of Lagos, February 2013; Doctor of Laws (H.C.) University of Jos, March 2013. Others are Doctor of Management (honoris causa), Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), 2014 as well as Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) University of London.

Chief Afe Babalola is a thoroughbred and distinguished legal practitioner, founder and proprietor of a university, community leader, teacher, administrator, philanthropist and true patriot.

Shamila Batohi: A Trailblazing Prosecutor in the Fight Against Crime in South Africa

In 1986, Batohi began her career as a junior prosecutor in the Chatsworth Magistrate’s office. She progressed through the ranks to become the Director of Public Prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal. She led the cross-examination for the King Commission, a high-profile commission of investigation into cricket match-fixing that happened during South Africa’s tour to India in 2000.

Batohi was appointed by former South African President Nelson Mandela to the Investigation Task Unit’s (ITU) prosecuting team. The legendary Mandela founded the ITU in 1995 to examine politically motivated hit squads inside the KwaZulu-Natal police department during the 1980s.

Fighting Crime in South Africa

Batohi was the first regional head of the Directorate of Special Operations, situated in KwaZulu-Natal. The National Prosecuting Authority’s Directorate of Special Operations, informally known as The Scorpions, was a specialised unit entrusted with investigating high-level crimes, organised crime, and corruption. From 2009 until 2018, Advocate Batohi’s legal competence was recognised internationally when she served as a senior legal advisor to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. In this capacity, she advised on the implications of sexual and gender-based violence being used as tools of war crimes, as well as how the ICC could aid survivors of gender violence, among other things.

Shamila Batohi is a vibrant prosecutor and one of the undeterred South Africans fighting the disturbing rise of crime in the country. Batohi’s work across key government parastatals is putting the criminalminded on notice.

According to the World Population Review, South Africa has the third-highest crime rate in the world, an astounding 76.86%. The country is riddled with assaults, rape, and homicides — and the government isn’t left out. This has been linked to many factors, such as high poverty levels, inequality, unemployment, social exclusion, and the normalisation of violence. Batohi is at the forefront of the fight against this status quo. But before we dive into her work, let’s see how it all started.

Shamila Batohi was raised in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. She earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Durban-Westville and a postgraduate law degree from the University of Natal.

Making History

In 2018, Batohi answered the call to return to her home country and serve again. She went on to set a record when she was appointed as the first female National Director of the Public Prosecuting Authority of South Africa (NDPP) in February 2019. She establishes prosecution policy with the Minister of Justice’s approval, provides policy directives, and intervenes in prosecutions where policy directives are not followed and may review a decision to prosecute or not.

Her Legacy

Advocate Shamila Batohi is a trailblazer in the legal profession because she is willing to take on unpleasant leadership roles and confront corruption head-on. She is also a living example of what it means to serve one’s country, especially in times of tremendous need. “Each moment in time carries with it the full weight of the past, and also the lightness of hope for the future,” said Batohi.

By Ebube Julius

Dapo Akinosun, a Renowned Lawyer in Nigeria’s Energy Sector

“They believed I was doing well as a oneman firm. Why did I want to go into a partnership? They asked. They had meetings and all decided to quit “…before he runs the firm aground”.

So, within a span of 24 hours, I received letters of resignation from 8 out of 9 lawyers working in the firm. I almost backed down, but knowing that God had given me the leading, I continued, putting all my trust in Him.”

Dapo’s Vision for the Nigerian energy sector

Dapo Akinosun discussed some of the difficulties the Nigerian energy sector was facing in an interview with ESI Africa. He specifically noted the fluctuation of the naira against major foreign currencies, the decay of the sector, and the lack of investment. He added that there was little interest in the sector’s operations and economics.

Dapo Akinosun, who is known as a “gas lawyer,” is the managing partner at SimmonsCooper Partners (SCP). Dapo is a crucial part of the dispute resolution team and the practice leader for Energy & Infrastructure.

He represents clients in arbitration processes and litigates a broad range of civil and business disputes in trial and appellate courts. Additionally, he has been involved in some of Nigeria’s most intriguing election petition cases.

As a lawyer for more than 25 years, he has given advice to several businesses, governmental agencies, and nonprofit organisations. Dapo Akinosun has been able to carve out a place in the field of energy law and direct several areas of the energy and natural resource industries.

Dapo Akinosun is a member of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, the American Bar Association, the International

Bar Association, and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in the United Kingdom.

From Sole Proprietorship to Partnership

Dapo Akinosun has been a licensed attorney since March 1995, starting out as a sole proprietor. He then joined forces with SimmonsCooper Partners to form a partnership, where he now serves as the Practice’s head for energy and infrastructure.

At first, Akinosun found it extremely difficult to make such a transition. To him, it was like moving from a familiar terrain to an unknown sector.

“I was moving from having 100% control to sharing income and control,” he remarked.

It was a challenging period for Akinosun, not just for him but also for his dependable colleagues in the chamber, who did not share his vision.

“There are hardly any regular research reports on the industry. Data can be cumbersome to obtain for non-insiders and more. We need more entrepreneurial interests in these matters.”

His idea of an independent and interdependent energy sector in Africa is sparked by this difficulty. Independent from a national standpoint and design, yet interdependent from a global perspective. In this sense, Nigeria should be able to get what it now gets from the US and Europe from places like Kenya, Egypt, South Africa, etc.

In order to achieve the greatest possible efficacy in their activities and investments, as well as regulatory compliance, he sees his role as an advisor to governments and other organisations as one of grandest responsibility.

He currently counsels the Advisory Team, that assists the Office of the Vice President in tackling Nigeria’s power problems.

By: Oyetoun Olabisi

Rudolf Amenga-Etego, the Ghanaian Lawyer who Doubles as an Environmentalist

very early stage in his career. Rudolf Amenga-Etego built his career on his educational foundation at the University of Ghana, where he obtained a Bachelor of art degree in Literature in English in 1985.

He proceeded to the Ghana School of Law and received a barrister of law degree in 1999. Amenga-Etego, in 2007 attended the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, earning a Master’s degree in Governance and leadership in 2009.

This resulted in an increase in diseases, especially in rural communities.

Solving the water crisis in Ghana

Rudolf Amenga-Etego’s discoveries have seen him become an activist for the people of Ghana for clean, drinkable water. To this end, he has successfully led some campaigns, such as the campaign to make safe, affordable drinking water accessible to all Ghanaians by 2010. He executed this through water protest rallies directed at the World Bank and IMF.

Rudolf Amenga-Etego is a public interest lawyer fronting the fight for access to clean drinking water and a campaign against the privatisation of the water sector in Ghana. His determination to change the water narrative in Ghana birthed the National Coalition Against the Privatization of Water in 2001.

Since its inception, the group under his leadership have made a tremendous impact in the sector. One such impact was stopping the water privatisation project supported by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This has earned him recognition within and beyond the shores of Ghana. In 2004, he was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for serving humanity.

Life as an environmentalist

The born and bred Ghanaian lawyer took a different path from his counterpart at a

With his certification and knowledge of the law, he protected people who could not afford water bills or were mistreated for accessing water through illegal means for survival. The more involved he was, the more he was curious and determined to unearth factors affecting water circulation to everyone, especially to people in rural communities.

His findings revealed that the problem started with Ghana’s government, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The two international organisations offer to loan the government capital to improve the water infrastructure in the country in exchange for privatisation of the water supply.

To pay off some of the country’s outstanding loans to World Bank and IMF, in 2001, the government increased the water rates by 95%. This makes it impossible for some people to afford and about 10 or 20% of Ghanaian monthly income goes to drinking water.

With the poverty rate in the country, 70% of people could not afford clean piped drinking water. Since water is essential for survival, people source it through different means.

His unwavering attitude and confidence in the cause saw people from different walks of life get involved. This includes health workers, farmers, academics, environmental groups, trade unions, students, and religious leaders. In 2001, he founded the National Coalition Against the Privatisation of Water and under its umbrella, they fought against the multinational corporations who wanted to privatise Ghana’s water system.

In 2003, they successfully got the government to halt the privatisation of the sector. Also, they created international awareness about the Ghanaian water crisis. This opened the avenue for him to meet with world leaders such as Tony Blair, Dennis Kucinich and Barbara Lee. His story also motivated African countries, such as Senegal and Uganda, faced with the same issue.

Journey so far

Rudolf Amenga-Etego is currently honourable in the parliament of Ghana. He is also a board chair and strategic advisor for Grassroots Africa.

Amenga-Etego is also serving as a board member of Food and Water Watch. He was also the African Civil Society Representative on the United Nations (UN) Sanitation and Water for All steering committee.

Profile

Odinga Vs Ruto: Did Kenya’s Supreme Court Uphold Justice?

The 2022 Kenyan presidential election has been nothing short of intriguing, right from the build up to the actual election to the announcement of William Ruto, 55, a supposed underdog who trumped the established elite to become the country’s fifth president since its independence in 1963.

“This is a unanimous decision. The petitions are hereby dismissed, as a consequence we declare the first respondent (Ruto) as president-elect,”

That was the conclusion of the verdict, read out by Chief Justice Martha Koome of Kenya’s Supreme Court on Monday, September 5, 2022, thus bringing to a conclusive end more

than two weeks of legal tussles instituted by presidential candidate, Raila Odinga, 77.

The verdict effectively paved the way for the swearing in of William Rutto, 55, the country’s incumbent vice president, who until 2019 enjoyed a harmonious working relationship with his principal, Kenyatta.

Ruto has been deputy to President Uhuru Kenyatta since 2013, but they fell out after the 2017 election shortly after Kenyatta moved to make a pact with his rival, Raila Odinga to the consternation of Ruto who saw Kenyatta’s move as a ploy to side track him towards the 2022 election.

The fallout which initially was perceived became full blown when Ruto was proved

right and Kenyatta moved to support Odinga as Kenya’s next possible president instead of his vice with whom he had an informal gentleman’s agreement that he would succeed him after working together for the past two tenures of four years each.

Kenya’s ruling party, the Jubilee party had also removed William Ruto as one of its leaders earlier this year but stopped short of removing him as Vice President, ostensibly because the country’s constitution only allowed for that in a situation where the individual is incapacitated or unable to discharge his or her duties.

As is usually the case in such scenarios when a deputy falls out with his principal, Ruto’s security details were withdrawn from his

Odinga

Ruto

residential apartment last year following a build up to the electioneering process.

All these, however, did not stop Ruto from coming out victorious in the presidential election, which was held on August 9th, 2022. Contesting against three others—Raila Odinga, George Wajackoyah, and David Mwaure, Ruto beat his closest rival and ex-Prime Minister, Raila Odinga in a keenly contested election with 7,176,141 of votes which amounted to 50.5% of the votes to come out victorious. Raila Odinga, on the other hand, polled 6,942,930 representing 48.8% of the total votes cast. It was the fifth time that Odinga will be standing for election.

As a result, Mr. Ruto achieved the minimum 25 percent of votes in 39 counties as stipulated in the country’s constitution.

He was subsequently declared the winner by the chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Wafula Chebukati.

Wafula Chebukati said, “in accordance with the Constitution and the law, chairperson of IEBC hereby declare that Ruto William Samoei has been duly elected as the President of the Republic of Kenya under the provision of Article 138 of the Constitution of the Presidential election held on August 9, 2022.”

But this was to be outrightly rejected by Mr Odinga while four of the seven members of the electoral commission also refused to authenticate the result.

Mr. Odinga cites evidence ranging from a suspicious laptop and allegedly falsified ballot papers as well as the arrest of foreign nationals with access to the election’s digital infrastructure.

He went ahead to file a petition before the country’s Supreme court accusing Ruto of cheating his way to victory but this was brushed aside by the Supreme Court along with several other petitions. He also claimed that Chebukati had allowed the electronic voting system to be infiltrated and compromised by foreign agents and also overstepped his authority by going ahead to announce the result without the consensus of the commission.

However, in a strongly worded judgment, the seven-man panel of the supreme court unanimously upheld the election result.

According to Justice Koome, “The petitioners did not provide a water-tight case against the election results.”

She further added, “This is the unanimous decision of the court and we make the following orders. The presidential election petition number E005 of 2022 as consolidated with the presidential election petition numbers E0,0,1,2,3,4,7 and 8 of 2022 are hereby dismissed.

“As a consequence, we declare the election result of the first respondent as Presidentelect to be valid.”

According to her, the evidence provided by the petitioners was nothing but hot air and all they did was to send the court on a wild goose chase.

Analysing the petition(s)

Several issues were raised by Odinga’s legal team by the court. These include:

They argue that the technology deployed by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) did not meet the constitutional and statutory standards.

Secondly, they argued that there had been an interference with the results that were uploaded to the electoral commission’s portal.

Thirdly, they claimed that election forms in the online results portal were changed from the original printed forms.

Another petition claimed that the postponement of some of the elections on August 9 had an impact on Raila Odinga’s votes. It also claimed that there were recorded cases of ballot stuffing. The petitioners also queried the powers of the chairperson of the electoral commission to verify, tally and declare results without consulting other commissioners.

Yet another petition queried if the constitutional 50 percent plus one threshold needed to be declared president was actually met by Wiliam Ruto.

One by one, all the arguments were quashed by Justice Koome. For the first, she held that the judges were not convinced with the allegation that the technology failed the test of integrity, securit verifiability, and transparency and as such the commission did not have the capacity to develop the technology and ought to outsource it.

On the second claim, the chief justice held that there was no evidence of anyone accessing the results transmission system to tamper with the results. As such, the arguments that the integrity of the public portal was compromised were thrown out.

This is reminiscent of the allegation made by Nigeria’s former vice president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2019 presidential election, who presented a fabricated result allegedly retrieved from INEC’s server.

On the second petition, Justice Koome maintained that there was no evidence that election forms in the online results portal were changed from what was on the original printed forms.

While reading, she warned lawyers against fabricating and presenting misleading evidence.

The next petition, which claimed that the postponement of the election in some parts had affected Raila Odinga’s votes, was also thrown out as she maintained that the bench was satisfied with the commission’s manner of carrying out the postponement, maintaining that it did not affect Mr. Odinga’s votes as claimed.

On the issue of ballot stuffing, Justice Koome said that “not a single document has been provided by the petitioners to show that ballots were stuffed.”

The last petition, which queried the powers of the chairperson of the electoral commission to verify and declare the results without having to consult other commissioners, she said was unfounded as the chairperson indeed was empowered by the constitution to announce the results as a representative of the commission.

Although this brought to the fore the fact that there was in-fighting and bickering within the commission, Justice Koome held that this was not enough to have affected the body’s ability to carry out the election according to the standards laid out by the constitution.

“Are we to nullify an election on the basis of a last-minute boardroom rupture, the details of which remain scanty and contradictory?” said Koome. “This we cannot do.”

Looking at the Supreme Court’s judgement, it is clear that a thorough work was done by the justices of the Supreme Court who, it is on record, sifted through tons and tons of paperwork just to try and validate the arguments brought before it by the petitioners but found that the claims basically had no merit in them.

According to Aynsley Genga,a JURIST Staff Correspondent in Kenya however, the Supreme Court’s decision did not really take into consideration the people’s voice. According to her, if the people are as important as the Chief Justice claims, then why was the issue of the unaccounted-for 27 constituencies never truly addressed?

She went further to ask if the voices of these people are not that important since

she says people went out to vote in those 27 constituencies and yet in the end, their votes, their voices, and their democratic rights were completely disregarded. Nobody will ever know whom those citizens ever wanted as their leader, and yet we call our country a leading democratic nation in Africa.

But the bigger question to ask here, I think, is this: how does this number really play up in the bigger picture and scheme of things? The Supreme Court, I believe, weighed in on

how much the issues raised really impacted the end result.

As Justice Koome noted, on the issue of ballot stuffing, not a single document was presented to justify the claim.

Another point to note about the trial is the speed at which the court was able to look through, hear both sides and dispense justice. The judges of the Supreme Court were able to look through it within the space of a little over two weeks to deal with the petitions.

It is usually said that justice delayed is justice denied. This certainly is justice dispensed right on time, just in time to assuage the mood of the nation and prevent a breakdown of law and order as well as ensure that the electioneering process continues and is not derailed.

One salient point that pops up here is that the petitioners only hastily put together the petitions without much evidence to back up their claims. This certainly gave the judges an easy time to decide and pass their judgement, seeing that the cases lacked no merit.

All in all, it is safe to submit here that the Supreme Court of Kenya truly upheld justice and lived up to its billing in the transition process.

Odinga

Ruto

By Damilola Akinlude

ABOVE AND BEYOND

Peace Itimi is driven by the mission to create an impact in people and organizations using her voice, knowledge & skill.

She is an experienced Growth Marketer and Startup Advisor. She is also a Content Creator, Public Speaker & Angel Investor.

She is the founder of the Founders Connect Podcast. Where she interviews Founders and Operators in Africa on their lives, experiences, career trajectory, businesses and more.

Moe Odele is the Founding Partner at Vazi Legal and the founder of Scale My Hustle.

Vazi Legal is a foremost tech-focused law firm with practices in Nigeria and the United States. They advise startups, venture capital funds, family offices and foundations dedicated to solving some of the most pressing challenges in our world today.

Scale My Hustle is a social enterprise focused on helping entrepreneurs build betterstructured businesses by providing educational content and an online community for current and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Her professional background includes international law, business and human rights, impact investing, inclusive finance, blockchain & digital currencies.

David Oyeleye is an human developmental consultant who believes that commitment to personal growth and development is the only guarantee that tomorrow will be better than today.

He is the visionary founder and Principal Consultant of The David Oyeleye Leadpreneur Academy, a leadership and enterprise development organization to help people discover, develop and deploy their latent potentials for personal, corporate and societal advantage.

Ifedayo Agoro is the face behind Diary of a Naija Girl and the CEO of Dang Lifestyle.

She is also the founder and creative lead of DANG NETWORK, a top inspirational, motivational and personal development blog cum media production company that has successfully created a growth-centered platform where empowerment, inspiration, advocacy, people and ideas are celebrated.

By: Oyetoun Olabisi

Meet Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong,

the Second Woman to be Ghana’s

Attorney General and Minister for Justice

She proceeded to the University of Ghana, Legon, where she received a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree and was then called to the Ghanaian Bar in 1994. AppiahOppong also has a graduate diploma in Law and Development from the Institute of Social Studies, Netherlands.

president, the country, and its ministries and agencies in all legal matters.

As the minister of justice, she supervises the ministry, overseeing government legal activities and drafting and presenting legislation to the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana. She also represents the country before major international tribunals.

Some of the international tribunals are the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

Marietta Brew AppiahOppong is the perfect definition of slow and steady wins the race. Within 20 years of her practice in the Ghanaian legal system, she rose gradually to occupy some of the top public offices in the country’s legal system, through which she garnered experience within and beyond the borders of Ghana.

Though notable in Ghana’s legal sector, Appiah-Oppong, born and raised in Tema, Ghana, started humbly like some other practitioners in the system.

The humble beginning

Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong’s journey started at the Tema Parents Association School and St Roses Senior High (Akwatia), where she received her Ordinary Level Certificate (O level) and Advanced Level Certificate (A level).

Upon completion, she started practising at Fugar and Co. law firm before proceeding to Lithur Brew and Company as a shareholder and director in 2000.

With years of practice under her belt, she is an exceptional litigator with vast experience in areas such as commercial law, transactions, and general corporate advice.

Serving in a public office

Owing to her exceptional expertise in the industry, she was appointed as the Attorney General and Minister for Justice of Ghana in 2013.

This makes her the second woman to occupy the position after Betty Mould-Iddrisu and the 23rd in Ghana. She served in the position for four years. This was during the tenure of ex-President John Dramani Mahama.

She served as the legal advisor to the government of Ghana. She represents the

Under her leadership in the ITLOS dispute, she and her team won Ghana’s maritime case with Cote D’Ivoire.

With her impeccable record, while serving as the attorney general and minister for justice, she was appointed to the International Chamber of Commerce court of arbitration in 2018. She served for three years.

Her experience in the offices further enriched her portfolio. It expanded her horizon of the legal world both in the private and public sectors within and beyond the border of Ghana.

With this, she returned to the firm with a wealth of experience and knowledge. Currently, she is the managing partner of Lithur Brew and Company and an honorary Council Member of the Ghana Association of Restructuring and Insolvency Advisors (GARIA).

She was also once a member of Ghana at 50 Commission of Enquiry and a Board Member of the Volta River Authority (VRA).

Ayotunde Owoigbe: The Authority on Mergers and Acquisition

afterwards and was admitted into the firm’s partnership in 2010.

Records

Since joining the firm in 2001, she has been involved in the firm’s corporate and finance, mergers and acquisitions, and banking and securitisation briefs.

She was involved in various capital market transactions, which ranged from bonds issued by the government to corporate debts, as well as equity capital market briefs within the domestic and international capital markets.

Association. She is also the Chair, Capital Market Solicitors Association.

Ayotunde is a non-executive director on the board of Africa Plus Partners Nigeria Limited, the fund managers of the “Africa Infra Plus Funds I and II”, an infrastructure fund registered by the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission and also of Me Cure Industries Limited, one of Nigeria’s leading pharmaceutical companies.

Professional Associations

Ayotunde Owoigbe is a lawyer who stands out with her professionalism and passion for achieving set goals and objectives. Her testimonial at Banwo & Ighodalo attests to this. She is a respected voice within the corporate and capital market spaces on issues such as fund formation, mergers and acquisitions.

Since joining the firm in 2001, she has been involved in nearly all of the firm’s corporate and project finance, mergers and acquisitions activities, banking and securitisation processes.

Owoigbe currently heads the firm’s corporate finance group.

Her practice areas include banking and loan syndication, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and project finance.

Education

Ayotunde Owoigbe attended the University of Lagos between 1994 and 1999 where she bagged her LL.B Hons and the Nigerian Law School between 2000 and 2001 (B.L). She joined Banwo & Ighodalo shortly

She co-led the team that was responsible for advising telecommunications giant MTN Nigeria on its premium bond listing on the board of the Nigerian Stock Exchange as well as Access Bank en-route to its notable merger with Diamond Bank that went on to create one of Africa’s largest retail banks by customer base.

She was also a Co-lead in the team that advised Interswitch Limited in connection with the acquisition of a 19.9% equity stake by Visa International Service Association.

Other notable mergers and acquisitions she has been involved in include advising Greenoaks Global Holdings Limited in connection with the company’s divestment of its 99.0% equity stake in Ensure Insurance Plc to Allianz, a leading global insurance conglomerate as well as Helios Investments Partners’ acquisition of 49% of Oando Plc’s interest in Oando Gas and Power Limited.

Other specific sectors in which she is actively involved in mergers and acquisitions include health, pharmaceuticals, and education.

Professional Memberships

She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Continuing Legal Education Committee of the Capital Markets Solicitors

Ayotunde Owoigbe is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association. She is a past Chair of the Capital Market Solicitors Association (CMSA), an independent self-regulatory association of Nigerian law firms that contributes to the development of the national capital market and promotes the interests of legal practitioners engaged in capital market transactions.

She is a member of the investors, issuers and intermediaries engagement/education sub-committee set up under the auspices of the FMDQ Securities Exchange to make recommendations on the debt capital market development project.

Other interests…

She is founder of The EstherDavid Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation registered in Nigeria; which sponsors charitable initiatives that promote access to formal education, self-employment opportunities and skills acquisition.

Awards and Recognitions

Owoigbe was recognised in the 2020 Euromoney Expert Guides on “Women in Business Law” as a leading Nigerian female expert. She is regularly ranked as a leading Nigerian lawyer by notable platforms such as Chambers, IFLR1000, WWL, The Legal 500, and World’s Leading Women in Business Law.

Did You Kn w?

For a bit of insight, let’s look at some important laws with business implications. We’ll also have some fun with weird laws from Nigeria and worldwide.

Online advertising is no different from offline advertising.

One common misconception is that online marketing and advertising are not as strictly regulated as offline marketing and advertising. It appears that we can say whatever we want on the internet without fear of repercussions. This is the reason for the recent increase in social media lawsuits. Misrepresentation and false claims are prohibited under consumer and competition laws, both online and offline.

Using army green in Nigeria

According to the Army Colour (Probation of Use) Act, it is illegal in Nigeria to paint a car army green. This law is sometimes applied to wearing camouflage-coloured clothing.

Extended warranties may be illegal

Customers want warranties on their purchases and are willing to pay a fee for them. However, before providing such a service, the business owner must ensure that they are not charging for something that the customer is already entitled to.

Many lawyers do not practice law

Practising law can be difficult, and the reality differs greatly from how it is portrayed on television and in movies. This may be why many lawyers leave the profession to pursue careers in other fields. Many lawyers explore rewarding career opportunities in banking, financial services, consulting, business development, education, and other fields.

Hiring a

contractor could be a mistake.

Contractors are preferred by small business owners because they appear to be less expensive and easier to manage than employees. Contractors, on the other hand, are more expensive and difficult to manage without binding agreements, nondisclosure agreements, and loyalty.

Jactitation of Marriage in Nigeria

In Nigeria, you can obtain a court order to prevent someone from claiming to be married to you. It’s called the “Jactitation of marriage” under the Marital Causes Act

By Simeon Onoja

Law against car parking in Wisconsin

Motorists in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, are not permitted to park their vehicles for more than two hours unless they are hitched to a horse.

Lawyers are more envied than disliked

Most people have the impression that lawyers are generally disliked. A PEW study indicates that an attorney is regarded as one of the least trustworthy professionals in America. According to the CEO of Legal Shield, Jeff Bell, some of the reasons why people dislike lawyers are: they think they’re smarter, they’re intimidating, they use complicated language, and are really expansive.

An

unwritten

contract is tenable in court

Many business relationships have been ruined by the assumption that unless you sign an agreement, it is not enforceable by law.

In fact, if all of the requirements are met, an email, recorded phone call, conversation, or social media message can be considered a binding contract.

Copyright and trademark are not the same things

Copyright applies to creative work, whereas trademarks apply to anything that distinguishes your products and services from competitors. Because they are ultimately different categories of intellectual property protection, something that is copyrighted is not protected by trademark legislation.

You do not always need to consult a lawyer

Many business owners waste money on lawyers when they can handle issues in-house with a few forms filed in court or with the tax office. However, do not rely too heavily on DIY solutions; the internet cannot provide you with a law degree.

In Turin, Italy,

illegal not to walk your dog at least thrice daily

Dog owners in Turin, Italy, will face fines of up to €500 if they do not walk their pets at least three times per day, according to a law passed by the city council. Italy considers itself an animal-loving country, and stray cats are legally protected in many cities.

Ban on beer recipe

The Encyclopedia Britannica was banned in Texas because it contained a beer-making recipe.

A ban on Sunday ice cream

Buying ice cream on Sundays was prohibited in Ohio because it was considered frivolous. As a result, ice cream vendors began to add fruit to their ice cream to make it more nutritious, giving rise to the ice cream sundae.

it’s

Femi Falana: Human Rights Activist and Justice Campaigner Extraordinaire

He worked with the Public Complaints Commission between 1982 and 1983 and practised under the firm of Alao AkaBashorun & CO. between 1983 and 1991.

He began his legal practice in 1982 and attained the highest legal title Of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2012.

Femi had a brief taste of politics in 2007 when he contested for the governorship seat of Ekiti State under the National Conscience Party, which he lost.

He is known for his provision of free legal services to the poor and disadvantaged and suffered long detention spells under successive military governments in Nigeria.

Publications

Highly cerebral, deeply lettered in the law, campaigner against injustice and government highhandedness. These are some of the descriptions that best fit the man, Femi Falana.

Mr. Femi Falana is one of Nigeria’s most popular lawyers and human rights advocate on account of the continuous front line role he has played and continues to play in several cases of human rights abuses and justice for the common man.

He is one of Nigeria’s most notable faces on television screens, a most sought after voice and contributor on contemporary issues that have to do with the Nigerian government’s many and sometimes outrightly inhuman policies.

Of the legal luminaries to have come out of Nigeria, Femi Falana stands tall. He is one Nigerian lawyer and human rights advocate who has played an active representative role in securing a number of notable individuals.

Some of these individuals include Jones Abiri, Editor and Publisher of The Source Newspaper, who had been detained by Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS) since 2016 and Publisher of online platform Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, who is currently being tried for spearheading the ‘Revolution Now’ protest.

Femi Falana is the Senior Attorney and Principal Partner at Falana and Falana, formerly Femi Falana Chambers, which he runs with his wife, Funmi Falana.

Growing Up

Femi Falana was born on May 20, 1958, in Ilawe, Ekiti State in Nigeria. He attended St. Michael’s School between 1963 and 1968 after which he proceeded to Sacred Heart Catholic Seminary from 1971 to 1975. From 1977 till 1981 he studied at the Obafemi Awolowo University and was called to the bar a year after.

Femi Falana has a number of publications to his name, such as “Nigerian Law on Socioeconomic Rights”, “ECOWAS court : law and practice’’ and “Fundamental Rights Enforcement”.

Professional Memberships

Femi Falana is acclaimed to hold membership and leadership positions of many prestigious professional associations, both locally and internationally. President of the West African Bar Association, Member, Pan African Lawyers Union and Member, International Bar Association.

Awards and Recognitions

He is a recipient of a number of national and international awards and honours, including: “Defender of the year Award” from the International League for Human Rights in 2000; The Ogoni Merit Award (2002); Dr Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award (2003); and the International Bar Association’s Bernard Simon Memorial Award for the Advancement of Human Rights (2003).

By Joseph Ekeng

Covid-19 Was a Silver Lining For My Career Funke Adekoya SAN

“Then again, the exposure to different cultures either through witness evidence in hearings or when attending arbitration conferences, highlights for me the “international” nature of the arbitration.”

Adekoya made her mark at AELEX

Adekoya who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria is the co-founder of AELEX, a leading commercial and dispute resolution law firm, where she served as a Head of Dispute Resolution Practice Group. She worked in the law firm for more than 18 years and helped nurture it into a legal powerhouse in Nigeria and beyond.

She believes that the future of arbitration practice lies in the economic growth prospect in Africa. “As the economies of the world focus on Africa and other developing markets as the last unexplored area of investment opportunity, I predict that there will be an upsurge of Africa-originating disputes

“Growing nationalism all over the world will result in pressure on the arbitration community for the engagement of more racially diverse participants in arbitration practice, both as counsel and as arbitrators,” she said.

Academic background

The year 2020 was a difficult period for the global business community which was forced into a painful lockdown as a result of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. But the shutdown which cost the global economy trillions of dollars in GDP losses was a blessing in disguise for Funke Adekoya (SAN), as it allowed her to reinvent her career as an arbitrator and litigation consultant.

How Covid shaped her career

Before Covid, arbitrator consultants in third-world countries were disadvantaged as a result of geographic limitations and weak infrastructure. But Covid encouraged a transition to an online evidentiary hearing, which provided an opportunity for greater participation for lawyers outside of the developed nation.

Adekoya has benefited tremendously from this shift because it allowed her to participate virtually in legal proceedings and engage with lawyers from different parts of the world without incurring the burden of traveling physically. “The opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with people from different parts of the world, often from different legal backgrounds is a high point for me,” she said in one of her interviews.

Within the period, she carved a niche for herself in the arbitration practice space and was involved in high-value disputes in the natural resource and construction sector.

She is an adviser to international counsels to international counsels on arbitration-related litigations. She also provided international clients with expert witness evidence and opinions on Nigerian law.

Why Adekoya quit AELEX

Adekoya who is a role model and a thought leader in the legal profession dropped a bombshell on her colleagues and admirers earlier this year when she announced that she was going to retire from AELEX to pursue a new career path as an independent arbitration consultant. According to her, she decided to quit AELEX because of the need to explore new possibilities as an independent arbitrator. “My retirement from AELEX and move into acting as an independent arbitrator point to the fact that there is a life outside of big law.

“One just has to balance the downside of restricted administrative support against the upside of less potential client conflicts. I think the future of independent arbitrators in Nigeria is bright

The future of arbitration practice

Though Adekoya was inspired to embrace law as a profession by her father who studies law as an adult student, it was at the sprawling campus of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, that she nurtured her dream. In 1974, she graduated from the prestigious University with a law degree and was called to the bar the following year. She obtained an LL.M. from Harvard Law School, Boston, Massachusetts USA in 1977.

Why Adekoya enjoys being an arbitration consultant

Speaking about what she enjoys the most as an arbitration consultant, she explains that it is the opportunity to rob minds and share ideas with colleagues from different countries around the world. “, The exposure to different cultures either through witness evidence in hearings or when attending arbitration conferences, highlights for me the “international” nature of the arbitration.

how to become successful.”

But the journey to the top was far from easy, because about 20 years ago when she started, the arbitration practice was .ale dominated. But she was determined to succeed no matter the limitations. Besides determination, Adekoya noted that one of the major requirements for success in her chosen career is a deep requisite knowledge and expertise in arbitration practice.

10 Richest Lawyers in Africa

By Kenechukwu Muoghalu

studied law, he went for his Master’s degree and on returning to Nigeria, he was called to the bar. He settled into his father’s law firm, K.O. Tinubu and Co and specialises in corporate and petroleum law. Soon he resigned and set up his firm.

Having fully set up his Law firm and given it a place in the industry, he decided to explore the entrepreneurial side of him by stepping into the oil and gas industry, with the establishment of Oando PLC. Having made a remarkable inroad in both industry sectors over the years, Jubril Tinubu has won himself an enviable place as the “the king of African oil” and also one of the most influential lawyers in Africa.

Tebogo Malatji

There is a common misconception about lawyers and their ability to make meaningful wealth out of their profession. But how conceivable can that be when there are multiple multi-millionaires roaming around the industry? Certainly, there are many reputable and affluent lawyers in Africa.

Major highlights of Africa’s vast Law and legal services industry include the accounts of illustrious men and women in varied branches of the Law practice. From criminal arbitration and litigation to corporate law,

real estate, finance and forensics; from immigration, environmental protection to energy, among others. Notable players in this industry are known to be legal luminaries who have successfully built enormous wealth and global acclaim out of the law profession across the spectrum. Some of Africa’s wealthiest attorneys are as follows:

Adewale Tinubu

Jubril Adewale Tinubu has made a name for himself as one of the richest lawyers in Africa. Just after he graduated from the University of Liverpool, England, where he

Attorney Tebogo is a notable South African lawyer, founder of the Malatji and Co Attorneys. After his university education at the University of Limpopo where he studied law, he commenced work at a commercial law firm in Pretoria and soon rose to its Managing Director position.

It was during this course that he formed his law firm, which he nurtured into one of the most reputable firms in South Africa. He once served his country as a High Court judge and has rendered service to influential clients across the globe.

Haruna Iddrisu

Haruna Iddrisu is a powerful billionaire lawyer from Ghana that has successfully merged his legal profession with politics. After bagging a degree in law at the University of Ghana, he went fully into the industry before making his moves into politics. He is a Member of Parliament for Tamale South and the former Minister for Employment and Labour Relations in Ghana.

Fred Ngatia

Fred Ngatia, a Kenyan School of Law graduate, is also one of the richest lawyers in Africa. Ngatia has had an experience of over 40 years in the profession and his career is mostly credited with multiple court representation of high-profile clients.

He became very popular after he represented President Uhuru Kenyatta in the Supreme Court during the Presidential election petition in 2013 and 2017. These high profile events helped to boost his professional standing and financial net worth over all.

Mayer Milad Iskander

Maher Iskander is an exclusive commercial law expert in Egypt. He has been recognized as one of the richest lawyers in Africa with over 30 years of practical experience in his field.

He is the founder and managing partner of Andersen Egypt law firm. He has since his debut represented multiple clients before all levels of court over economic, corporate and shareholder disputes. This has earned him the position as one of Egypt’s most fierce attorneys.

Jane Wanjiru Michuki

Jane Wanjiru Michuki is not just one of the richest attorneys in Africa, she is also among Kenya’s wealthiest women. After bagging multiple degrees in law, she went ahead to pursue her specialisation in perfecting securities, financial negotiations and contract laws.

Soon enough, Michuki set up her law firm, Kimani and Michuki Advocates, where she currently works as a Managing Partner. Aside from her law career, she is also a businesswoman and investor, apparently, the leading female investor at the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

Afe Babalola

Afe Babalola is a popular name in Nigeria following his achievements in the Law industry since he began practising. After studying law at the University of London. He came back to Nigeria to practice Law and soon founded his law firm, Afe Babalola and Co (Emmanuel Chambers), which is recognised as one of the largest law firms in Nigeria. He also co-founded the Afe Babalola University, a private University in Nigeria and spends his free time as a farmer on his large farm in Ekiti State.

Kwesi Botchwey

Kwesi Botchwey, a Ghanaian lawyer who has also made a debut in politics, is also another affluent lawyer of African and international repute. Just after his education, he practised Development Economics at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, Boston MA. He returned to Ghana and took over the legal industry. He

published legal and non-legal articles with special agencies like the United Nations and the international monetary fund (IMF).

Kwesi also ventured into politics and once became Ghana’s Minister of Finance. From these dual career fronts, he made strong connections and grew in personal net worth.

Taher Helmy

Taher Helmy is yet another Egyptian Attorneywhose success in the legal profession is worth mentioning and documenting. After acquiring his degrees, he practised with Baker McKenzie and soon co-founded the Egyptian Law Firm Helmy, Hamza and Partners.

He is also a member of the Illinois and Chicago Bar Associations. He has specialties in drafting and reviewing several Egyptian legislations and the US/Egyptian Investment Treaty. He has also supported multiple charity organisations in Egypt.

Babatunde Folawiyo

Babatunde Folawiyo, a University of London grad, is unquestionably one of Africa’s wealthiest lawyers. Before going into law, Folawiyo studied Economics with a thorough understanding of both fields, he made a lot of achievements.

He took over his father’s company, the Yinka Folawiyo Group, which has holdings in real estate, agriculture, shipping, and energy. Soon after, he founded Folawiyo Energy Ltd, as a subsidiary of his father’s company. He ultimately amassed more fortune from each of his occupations.

By: Oyetoun Olabisi Profile

Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante: A Legal Trailblazer Promoting Social Development in Ghana

The making of a legal practitioner, Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante

Ashante relocated with her mother at the age of seven from the United Kingdom. She grew up surrounded by her mother, grandparents and maternal uncles. Apart from her academic knowledge, her immediate and extended family contributed to her formative experience.

With her master’s degree in Gender, Peace and Security from Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre, she volunteered as a lawyer under the Ghana Legal Aid and Scheme and fronted gender issues.

Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante as a social development activist

Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante is one of the youngest female lawyers pioneering development in different sectors of her homeland, Ghana. Her ideology of diversified knowledge has seen her span beyond her field. The effectiveness of this mindset made her advise youths to attain mastery in all fields to remain relevant in the changing world.

In 2017, she became a board member of the National Folklore Board, a body responsible for legally defending and promoting Ghana’s folklore and intangible cultural heritage. A year later, she was appointed as the Acting Director of the National Folklore Board, making her one of the youngest to ascend such an office.

Her competency while in the position gained her and the organisation international recognition. She and her team successfully executed projects such as passing the folklore user fees into law. With all these milestones attained, Asante did not foresee her path taking such a trajectory.

This made her an outstanding and outspoken person right from her secondary school. With these qualities, she wanted to be a lobbyist. She believed this was a way for her to effect change within the government and society. Despite her desire to be an agent of change in the country by being a lobbyist, she could not study the course in Ghana. Though she opted for Economics, noticing her eloquence and outspoken nature, her grandfather advised her to study law. A decision she said she has never regretted.

Since then, the law graduate from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has achieved different milestones. In 2017, as a legal practitioner, she was one of the two nominated lawyers by the Association of Law Firms in Italy to undergo a six-month professional training in Sustainable Dispute Resolution and Sustainable Development and International Anti-Corruption.

Asante became a specialist in commercial litigation, corporate governance and intellectual property. She practised it while working with law firms within and beyond the borders of Ghana, such as JLD & MB Legal Consultancy, Fresh Fields Bruckhaus Derringer and NCTM Studio Legale. Her diversified exposure gave her experience in areas such as debt recovery, company secretarial, regulation advisory and commercial documentation drafting and review services.

Although Nana Adjoa Adobea Asante was unable to become a professional lobbyist, she got to practise it as acting director of the National Folklore Board. “I learnt how to manage people further, and I also learnt how to lobby, so even though I couldn’t become a professional lobbyist, this job helped me improve my negotiation skills,” she said.

This position has seen her contribute to and sustain some of the cultural heritage of Ghana. One such move was when she requested that Marvel Studios should acknowledge Ghana for using ‘Kente cloth’, one of their cultural attire, in the globally acclaimed movie ‘Black Panther.’

The move has further opened more opportunities to the country as the studio is considering using Ghana for movie locations. Also, revenues are now being generated from international organisations using the country’s cultural artefacts and symbolic items for commercial purposes. Under her leadership, she monetised the creative arts space in Ghana.

To ensure that the country’s cultural heritage is ingrained, she created folklore clubs in some primary schools in Ghana. Apart from volunteering to represent people in court, she founded a non-government organisation - The Social Bridge. Through the organisation, she caters for homeless women and children by providing education and executing life-changing social projects.

Meet Kissi Agyebeng, the MultiVersatile Ghanaian Law Practitioner

Giving back to his country’s educational system

Upon graduating from the University of Dalhousie and Cornell University, Kissi Agyebeng returned to Ghana. In Ghana, he gradually built his portfolio in the legal sector with positive contributions in his wake.

Upon his return, he started working at the University of Ghana in 2006. While there, he combined it with being an International Humanitarian Law lecturer at the Regional Maritime University, Accra, in 2009.

Kissi Agyebeng is currently the Special Prosecutor of Ghana, a lecturer at his alma mater, the University of Ghana, chairman of the Electronic Communications Tribunal of Ghana and the Managing Partner of Cromwell Gray LLP, a law firm in Ghana.

His impeccable record from undergrad to postgrad has seen him attain milestones in his career and become one of the exceptional legal practitioners in Ghana. This earned him the public office through which he has been contributing his quota in ridding the country of corruption.

The Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame to this, in a letter addressed to the office of the president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, said, “Kissi Agyebeng possesses the requisite expertise on corruption and corruptionrelated matters, is of high moral character and proven integrity and satisfy all the other requirements stipulated in section 13(1) and (2) of Act 959.”

Also, the president of Ghana said, “He has the capacity, the experience, the requisite values and intellectual strength to succeed in this vital position.”

Life before becoming a legal practitioner

The forty-four years old Kissi Agyebeng comes from Kwahu Nkwatia, a town in

the Kwahu East District, a district in the Eastern Region of South Ghana. In 1994, he obtained his Ordinary Level (O-Level) certificate from Accra Academy. Two years down the lane, he received his Advanced Level (A-Level) certificate.

He proceeded to the University of Ghana, where he obtained his bachelor of laws (LLB) degree as the best graduating student in 2001 and won the Bentsi-Enchill Award. In the same year, he went to Ghana School of Law and finished in 2003 as the best student in family law and received the E.N. Sowah Memorial Award. He was called to the Ghana bar in 2003.

A year later, he attended Schulich School of Law, University of Dalhousie and studied Marine and Environmental Law. In 2005, he graduated with a post-graduating degree. He received another postgraduate degree from Cornell Law School, Cornell University in Banking, Corporate, Finance and Security Law.

He successfully executed different cases and international arbitration hearings with this immense knowledge. Through this, he has enmassed experience and expertise in dealing with different sectors, such as the Attorney General’s Department, Exim Bank Ghana Limited, Youth Employment Authority, National Lottery Authority, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Trade Fair Company Limited, and the Ghana Olympic Committee.

In 2011, he became a member of the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College. The following year, he became a lecturer at Mountcrest University College, teaching Criminal Law. He taught the same course in 2013 and 2014 at Central University College and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). Still date he is still a lecturer at his alma mater.

Career as a lawyer

Kissi Agyebeng started his career as an associate at Zoe, Akyea and Co. Law firm. In 2008, he became a member of the Public Interest Law (CEPIL), a Human Rights and Public Interest Law Firm. the following year, he joined the Ayine and Felli Law Firm as a Senior Associate.

In 2014, he became the Managing Partner of Cromwell Gray LLP. In 2019, he was appointed chairman of the Electronic Communications Tribunal, Ghana. He was responsible for adjudicating appeals from verdicts of the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Dispute Resolution Committee of the NCA concerning the use of electronic communications, how broadcasting is regulated, and the utilization of the electromagnetic spectrum. He is the special prosecutor of Ghana, appointed on the 5th of August 2021 for seven years.

By Ebube Julius

Oluwatodimu Ige: A Seasoned Lawyer and Impactful Entrepreneur

Ige makes an effort to avoid engaging in illegal activities because doing so is against the law and is incompatible with his background as a lawyer.

Oluwatodimu Ige’s challenges

Oluwatodimu Ige stated that staffing is his main concern in an interview with Punch. He has had trouble choosing the ideal candidates for a job position because, to start with, many individuals make false claims about who they are.

Oluwatodimu Ige is a seasoned entrepreneur and lawyer at Oluwatodimu Ige and Associates who has experience in property law practice, commercial law practice, and arbitration. He is a member of the UK’s Chartered Institute of Arbitrators as an associate arbitrator.

In addition, he is a director at the real estate company Poe Properties and the founder of Toddy Domestic Services, a business that provides logistical and domestic services. Oluwatodimu Ige studied law at the Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ago Iwoye, Ogun State. He also holds a project management diploma.

Early career

Oluwatodimu Ige started his career as a lawyer in a law firm called Kalalo and Kalaro. He maintained a good relationship with the owner despite leaving the firm. He believes having good relationships with people is an essential attribute people should have in life because it was one of the things that has helped him go a long way in his career.

“I still have a relationship with the owner of the firm because he trained me until I could stand on my own. Even when I run into problems, I still call him and we discuss issues and make sure they are resolved amicably.” Compassion has also been a quality that has served him well throughout his career.

“Even when I am recruiting or offering our services, compassion is key. We must always think about the interest of other people, and not just ourselves alone.”

Juggling being a law practitioner and other businesses

Being a lawyer entails abstaining from involvement in the day-to-day operations of any business, other than your legal profession. Oluwatodimu Ige, therefore, restricted his involvement in the logistics business and the real estate enterprise to exclusively supervisory roles.

“I give instructions, attend meetings and see how things can be moved to the next level. I interact with the managers of both companies and give them instructions which they follow up on.”

Secondly, Ige has seen problems with some individuals who lose motivation after a few months of work, “Due to the fact that when you employ them, they work so hard in the first month and you think that you have got a worker from heaven. But at the end of the day, their energies fade, probably because they are expecting more money.” he said.

Another difficulty he mentioned is the Nigerian economic factor. But he makes an effort to solve these issues by thinking creatively.

Oluwatodiumu Ige and Associates

Oluwatodimu Ige and Associates is a fullservice business law firm with experience in different established legal niches. It consists of lawyers committed to providing top-notch legal services to customers both locally and worldwide who have gained experience over the previous years in a variety of legal, regulatory, and corporate compliance procedures.

The two main focuses of practice at Oluwatodimu Ige and Associates are understanding the client’s needs and taking a practical approach to achieving our desired goals of competitive client satisfaction. To this end, they have formed very formidable alliances with professional colleagues, firms, and institutions all over the world.

Seyi Bella: The Corporate Legal Titan

Speaking on her admission, which brought the total number of partners at the law firm to 12 and the partnership’s gender mix to 12, the Chief Operating Officer of the firm, Kemi Ajayi, said Bella’s entry into the partnership would strengthen the firm’s service offering:

“Having grown through the firm, Seyi’s profile is entirely autochthonous and we are confident of her capabilities in providing the highest quality of legal services that our clients have come to expect from B&I,” she said.

Bella’s admission as a partner in the firm made her the youngest member where she is described as an incredibly hard working, smart, adroit, and reliable lawyer.

to further finance the cost of development of the Dangote Projects.

Despite her area of specialisation however, she offers advice to clients that cuts across several sectors, ranging from oil and gas (reserve based lending), real estate and construction, telecoms, power, healthcare, and hospitality.

About B&I

It is noteworthy that the law firm, Banwo & Ighodalo which was established in 1991, has over 60 lawyers and 12 partners and has been consistently recognised for practice and business excellence by the world’s leading rating and ranking directories such as IFLR1000, Chambers Global, Euromoney, Who’s Who Legal, Legal 500 and others;

Seyi Bella is a lawyer with vast experience when it comes to corporate law. Her experience, which is in the areas of corporate and commercial law, banking and finance, project finance, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and fintech, stands her out as a mind to beat.

She is a partner at Banwo & Ighodalo which she joined in 2006 as a junior associate with over fourteen years of experience. She was admitted into Banwo & Ighodalo law firm, a leading corporate and commercial law firm in Lagos in 2018 as a key member of its corporate, securities & finance practice.

This admission into the partners’ list of the company follows her illustrious career at the company as a Senior Associate for about fourteen years.

The testimony of her sterling performance at the law firm as a Senior Associate is evident in the statement issued during the announcement of her admission as a Partner.

Since then, she has handled a number of notable corporate cases in the law firm to several domestic and multinational companies, international banks, and financial institutions.

Some of the notable transactions she has led includes; co-leading the team that advised the Dangote Group in the US$3,025,000,000 syndicated financing transaction for the development of a fertiliser plant with a capacity per annum of 2.8 metric tonnes of urea and the largest oil refinery in the West African sub-region with a production capacity of 650,000 barrels per day located in the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Nigeria (the Dangote Projects).

This deal, at the time, is said to have been the single largest corporate finance transaction in the West African sub-region. She also led the team that advised the Dangote group in the raising of additional capital, which included the US$250,000,000 and US$650,000,000 facilities, which were advanced by African Export-Import Bank; and another US$300,000,000 advanced by a syndicate of lenders arranged by Standard Chartered Bank (and backed by SACE S.p.A)

The law firm continues to receive Tier 1 ranking in several practice areas, not just in Nigeria but internationally. In 2013, it was ranked among the 50 fastest growing Nigerian enterprises.

Education

Bella is an alumnus of the University of Lagos where she studied for her Bachelors of Law (LLB) 2005 and the Nigerian Law School where she secured her Bachelor of Law (B.L). She also attended Harvard Law School for her Masters of Law (LLM) 2008.

Professional Associations and Features

She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the New York Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.

Seyi Bella has been consistently featured in respected legal directories and other professional publications such as Who is Who Legal, IFLR1000 and Legal 500. She is presently ranked as a “Highly Regarded Leading Lawyer” by IFLR 1000 and is an IFLR 1000 woman leader. She has also authored many articles in leading law publications.

Oghogho Akpata: One of Nigeria’s Leading Oil & Gas Lawyers

work and dispute resolution aspects of the Nigerian oil and gas sector. He also provides assistance to a wide range of clients, including important Nigerian oil service contractors as well as a number of other local, regional, and international companies with operations in Nigeria.

History of His Early Career

sector is unprecedented when considered in the context of the economy at large”.

In 1995, Oghogho Akpata established his own firm, Templars Barristers and Solicitors, which has grown to be one of the largest law firms in Nigeria with a workforce of about 100 solicitors, including Senior Advocates of Nigeria. He also later became the Managing Partner and Head of Energy and Projects and since then, he has made a full gamut of projects and energy matters in Nigeria.

Other Miscellaneous Activities

Oghogho Akpata is one lawyer that has significantly impacted the oil and gas sector of Nigeria and beyond. He is the Managing Partner of Templars and also the Head of Energy and Project Group at Templars Barristers and Solicitors. Having practised law for more than 25 years, he has experience in a variety of sectors, including merger and arbitration, project finance, and project development, among others.

His practice field includes social infrastructure as well as the energy, natural resource, mining, oil, and gas sectors. Additionally, Akapata belongs to the Nigerian Chartered Institute of Taxation, the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN), and the International Bar Association’s Section on Energy and Natural Resources.

Since he began practising, he has been a well-known figure in any transactional

“I grew up in a family of lawyers and it seemed a right fit to me as a person. From my early years, I was familiar with the hard work required and the necessity to have extensive knowledge in whatever area I decided to specialize in. This clarity from my early years made law a certainty for me” he said during an interview with Newswire. With that being a form of motivation for Akpata to set his dreams right, he went ahead to study law at the University of Benin in 1986.

Just after he bagged his Bachelor’s degree, he started his career at the first-class law firm of F.O Akinrele & Co. While he gained quality training from the best minds in the firm, which served as a great foundation for him to set off as a renowned attorney, Akpata also developed an interest in Oil and Gas law at that time.

His decision to enter the industry was motivated by his conviction that it is practical in nature. In his words, he said “the oil and gas sector is the most sophisticated sector in the Nigerian economy to date. The level of technical expertise and strides made in the

Aside from being a reputable Nigerian lawyer, Akpata has also shown that he has a large heart that can accommodate and give freely to people. To support his advocacy for this social change, he ensured Templars’ commitment to pro bono legal service and also encouraged his lawyers to join the movement.

He also established a collaboration with the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria in an effort to combat sickle cell disorder (SCD) and raise awareness of the condition in Nigeria (SCFN). To revive cricket in Edo State, he also signed a contract with the Edo State Secondary Schools Cricket Board.

In recognition of his numerous achievements in Nigeria and across the globe, he has been ranked as one of the leading Energy and Natural Resources lawyers in Nigeria by Chambers Global from 2005 to this date. He is also recognised by the Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal as a leading Energy practitioner and also one of the Highly regarded lawyers in Nigeria by the IFLR 1000.

Aside from having multiple recent transactional jobs, Oghogho Akpata also encouraged young lawyers that are willing to adopt his footsteps for a change. In an interview, he stated, “I think young lawyers should strive to be better than the average lawyer. They should know their industry and be capable of discussing it with their clients”.

By

Bode Olanipekun is One of Nigeria’s Youngest SAN Honourees

After his pupillage, he then moved on with his father’s law firm, Wole Olanipekun and Co and soon was promoted as the Managing Partner in 2010.

Wearing the Coveted Silk at 35

Still going to courts and maintaining his work as an attorney, Bode was elevated at just 12 years post-call to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria at the age of 35.

At an early age, v Olanipekun was already scaling high as an attorney while looking to gain more experience and stability in life as a young man. His first goal was to follow in his father’s footsteps, although he has shown to be more high-yielding than his father, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and an ex-President of the Nigerian Bar Association.

Bode, the Managing Partner of Woke Olanipekun and Co, has so far dedicated his successes and achievements in the legal firm to his perseverance spirit, which has been the fire that kept him going.

Early Life

Coming from Irene-Ekiti, Ekiti State, he had his primary education at the University of Ilorin Staff Primary School and went on for his secondary education at Olashore International School. Olanipekun recalled

how he had always picked interest in Law as a little boy after discovering the fun and prestige of his father’s profession.

In an interview he said, “at a young age, I had been seeing a towering image of my dad as a lawyer. In fact, when I was in secondary school, the only time I ever participated in a drama was to act as a lawyer”.

That being Olanipekun’s stepping stone coupled with the constant support he got from his father, he set out to pursue his dreams.

He enrolled at the University of Lagos where he studied Law. After he graduated, Olanipekun went for his Master’s in Commercial and Maritime Law at the University of Wales, in the UK. On returning to Nigeria, he started life as a lawyer in Nigeria, working as an intern under the mentorship of Mike Igbokwe, SAN and Co. “Mr Igbokwe was one of the best people to learn law from because he taught you the right things—diligence, hard work” he said during an interview.

He being a SAN at that age was a game changer and it came as a surprise to everyone because he was the youngest in his year of elevation. Olanipekun saw himself living his childhood dream even at an earlier age compared to that of his father. Because of the spread and depth of his experience, Olanipekun has so far gained a vast experience in litigation in diverse areas of law in trial courts, specialised tribunals and across all appellate courts in Nigeria.

He has also successfully supported numerous clients, with both domestic and cross-border commercial problems, through dispute resolution and avoidance throughout his practice. Over the years, he has handled sophisticated cases of crucial importance, which include both interpretation and application of knotty constitutional and statutory matters across the legal spectrum. With his special skills in arbitration, maritime law, legal compliance and energy law among others, he is hell-bent on helping companies and individuals operating in regulated territories of the economy.

Awards and Recognition

The achievements of Bode Olanipekun so far have attracted a wide range of recognition and awards from prominent bodies across the globe, including the Nigerian Bar Association Award for Excellence and the ESQ Nigeria Legal (Legal Blitz) Award for Nigerian Rising Stars Under 40.

By Damilola Akinlude

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Is Africa’s Legal System Slow and Unfair?

Generally,

It is commonly said that “justice delayed is justice denied”, but for millions of Nigerians and Africans, this mantra is only good enough for sloganeering. The reality on the ground is far from the substance of the declaration as a result of the complexity and harshness of the judiciary system in Africa, which has limited the chances of millions from gaining access to justice.

Indeed, just like in other parts of the world, there is a rising interest in the legal system in Africa, as many more people are flocking to the courts for dispute resolution. But while this is a positive development, it has equally put a tremendous amount of pressure on the legal system because of a backlog of cases that appears to overwhelm the courts.

there is a growing interest in the justice delivery system in Africa, but the growth appears to have taken a negative toll on the legal process in the region.

Though some African countries have made reasonable progress to expand the capacity of their legal system as a result of the spike, most others are overburdened by it, leaving in its trail a justice system that is in disarray and too expensive for the poor.

Overview of the justice system in Africa

This explains why in Zimbabwe only less than 50% of court cases get attended to.

But while the wheels of justice grind excruciatingly slowly in Zimbabwe, in other parts of the continent, they are worn out and have almost fallen off. Take for instance the Central African Republic, security operatives complain that they can no longer arrest criminals because there are no prisons to keep them.

Then in Nigeria where the judiciary is bogged down with dilapidated infrastructure and procedural challenges, the average time to commence and conclude litigation is between six to 10 years. In some instances, cases have gone on for decades. One example that comes to mind is Arikri vs Muraimo Eleno. The court case commenced in October 1960, but there was no resolution until 1983.

A more recent example is the Magodo Estate land dispute which has generated a lot of tension in Lagos State, Nigeria. The court action which followed a forceful takeover of family land by the Lagos State government was first instituted in 1988 but was not concluded until a few months back, by then some of the aggrieved had died.

According to Prof. Epiphany Azinge, such legal delays defeat the principle of justice and undermine the integrity of the judiciary.

“Justice delayed amounts to an academic exercise without any tangible rewards,” Prof Azinge stated.

Continuing’’ In the Criminal Justice System, delay can be fatal or mortally dangerous. The cost implication in both Civil and Criminal actions can be humongous and clients and taxpayers are often made to bear the cost of delayed trials and litigations.

“The emotional drain on the parties cannot be underestimated and the psychological trauma suspects and victims alike face while the case drags can never be underestimated.”

Azinge stressed that under such a climate, public trust in the judiciary becomes eroded and citizens are left with no choice but to seek alternative channels for dispute resolution.

Indeed, the foregoing sentiment is supported by an analysis by Afrobarometer, which stresses that only a tiny majority of Africa has trust in the judiciary system. The report also reveals an overwhelming perception that most or all judges and magistrates are corrupt.

Causes of delays in the legal process

Delays in the legal process are not peculiar to Africa. Highly populated countries like India and China have had a history of slow justice systems, but both countries have leveraged technology and legal reforms to make their justice delivery system more efficient and people-focusses.

In Africa, the judiciary environment is largely stuck in the Stone age and has yet to embrace the efficiency of technology.

It is very common to walk into courtrooms that are dilapidated and in pitiable conditions. Some of the courts in Nigeria have leaking roofs and no proper ventilation or cooling systems to make people comfortable.

No court in Nigeria can boast of IT, no verbatim recorder or retrofitted system. This results in a cumbersome system where judges are faced with the huge task of having to rely on writing in longhand while also listening to the counsels speak.

Moreover, the absence of a proper case management system means that judges of Nigerian courts are overloaded with a minimum of 500 cases in their docket. “Some have up to 2000 or 3000 as the case may be. Little wonder that cases last between 30-40 years in Nigeria,” Prof. Azinge lamented.

The way forward

Aside from the fact that unduly long litigations make the justice delivery system too expensive and unaffordable to the average citizen, it also undermines Africa’s socio-economic aspirations, because the health of the judiciary system is one of the major indicators investors consider before setting up business in a country.

That explains why nations with a more stable and vibrant judiciary attract more investors. The way forward, therefore, is for African nations to speedily implement judicial reforms that will build trust in the legal process. Some reforms that have been suggested by experts include better use of technology. There is a need for courtrooms to be installed with the necessary technology that will advance efficiency and speed up litigations procedure.

Legal aid: because the majority of Africans are poor and cannot afford legal support, a legal aid scheme can enable low-income earners to get legal assistance to defend their rights in court. Even though on paper many African countries have a legal aid programme, it is far from being efficient, therefore it requires an overhaul.

Customary dispute resolutions: for many communities in Africa the traditional rulers and elders are still the final authority for dispute resolutions. Judicial experts believe that the system should not be ignored, rather it should be supported and encouraged because it can help reduce the workload of the conventional courts. More, it is less cumbersome and more affordable.

Indeed, many of the African nations are already implementing some reforms in their legal system, however, the process needs a more serious and urgent approach because a vibrant judiciary is crucial to economic development.

Akindeji Oyebode: The High Cerebral Energy Legal Mind

Professional Accomplishments

Some of his transactional highlights include:

Leading the team that advised Dangote Fertilisers Limited, Nigeria’s leading fertiliser plants, in connection with a gas supply arrangement with the SPDC Joint Venture (comprising the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited, and Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited) and the Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria, for the supply of gas to its plant, for the operation of the company’s two-train urea and ammonia fertiliser plant located at the Lekki Free Zone in Lagos State.

Akindeji was also instrumental in the consummation of the $1,100,000,000 facility advanced to TNOG Oil & Gas Limited and TNOG Pipelines Limited, an affiliate of Heirs Holdings and Transcorp Plc by a syndicate of international banks, global investment funds, and financial institutions, including Standard Chartered Bank, ABSA Bank Limited, and the African Export-Import Bank in the acquisition of a 45% participating interest in Nigerian oil licence OML 17 from Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Total E&P and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited.

Akindeji Oyebode is another notable lawyer with the law firm, Banwo & Ighodalo where he has been a partner since May 2021. Before that, he was a Senior Associate and Team Lead of the Energy and Natural Resources Practice Group, a position he took up in 2017, having joined the firm in 2008 as an associate.

Before joining the Banwo & Ighodalo firm, he was a visiting lawyer with Baker and Mckenzie, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. He is a high cerebral lawyer who has more than a decade of experience working on highly complex energy briefs and project finance transactions.

Oyebode is a licensed corporate and transactional lawyer with a focus on oil & gas, power, and project finance. He is licensed to practice in Nigeria and the US State of New York.

His areas of practice and expertise include energy and natural resources, banking and loan syndication, property and real estate. Others are asset finance, mergers and acquisitions, project development, and project finance, and he has advised several notable clients in this sector.

He was also responsible for advising Black Rhino in connection with its acquisition of interests from an unincorporated joint venture in, and the subsequent development of, a 540MW gas fired combine cycle power plant, as well as advising the promoters of the proposed development of a 480MW power plant in Okpai, Delta State, Nigeria.

He has also advised technology giant Siemens in connection with its local acquisition of the assets of Dresser-Rand Nigeria Limited. He acted as Nigerian Lenders’ Counsel to a syndicate of banks in connection with a $1,245,000 reserve based lending facility to Petrobras Oil & Gas B.V.

Education

Akin Oyebode is a graduate of the University of Lagos where he secured his LL.B in 2007, the Nigerian Law School in 2008 and the University of Pennsylvania in 2011, for his LL.M.

Awards and Recognitions

Akindeji was ranked “Next Generation Lawyer” in the Legal500 2017 rankings, and has been ranked by numerous local and other international legal directories.